gesture

1 of 2

noun

ges·​ture ˈjes-chər How to pronounce gesture (audio)
ˈjesh-
1
: a movement usually of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea, sentiment, or attitude
raised his hand overhead in a gesture of triumph
2
: the use of motions of the limbs or body as a means of expression
3
: something said or done by way of formality or courtesy, as a symbol or token, or for its effect on the attitudes of others
… a political gesture to draw popular support …V. L. Parrington
4
archaic : carriage, bearing

gesture

2 of 2

verb

gestured; gesturing

intransitive verb

: to make a gesture (see gesture entry 1 sense 1)

transitive verb

: to express or direct by a gesture (see gesture entry 1 sense 1)

Examples of gesture in a Sentence

Noun Specific gestures can indicate particular moods. His arm was raised in a gesture of defiance. Verb She gestured towards the fireplace. He gestured at his audience. The room was filled with angry people shouting and gesturing. He gestured to his partner to leave.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In essence, these two have little in common except banal exchanges and flirty gestures. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 A lot of these things probably started as jokes, but such gestures have a way of outliving their origins. Sam Apple, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 And although Foster missed it, fellow official Natalie Sago saw Gobert’s gesture and assessed a technical foul to the center, which proved to be costly for Minnesota. Sam Joseph, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 The double-tap gesture is still too unreliable and frustrating. Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 9 Mar. 2024 The tactic that the league seems to be taking, then, is to rely on the referees, rather than the rules, to be reasonable—to consider whether a player already has a technical before issuing another; to ignore cussing or frustrated gestures some of the time, but not all the time. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 Usually, the gesture is directed outward at a beloved, perhaps even as a prelude to a kiss. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 And using it in a public setting, like on the train or at the library, attracts stares — not least because of the in-the-air hand gestures involved. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 China lends pandas out as a goodwill gesture and recalls them when international relations sour. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Lohan stood between Steph and Shammas, while the basketball player gestured towards the actress in the picture. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 In response to an underwhelming joke from Kimmel about his body, Downey gestured to the comedian to wrap up the gag. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Adam Thompson, a board member of the Young Jewish Conservatives of South Florida, gestured around the ballroom. Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024 Combs looked at Chapman with immense admiration, gesturing to her and bowing down. Audrey Gibbs, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 Then, a man from the group can be seen patting him on the back before appearing to gesture with his hand for the children to stay back before Abu Al-Ola continued on alone. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024 The president gestured out his window, not only to the Truther encampment, but more expansively, as if to the very division that was cleaving the country in two. Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024 As the man begins to move away from the register, the employee gestures to the officer to alert him of the robbery. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024 Fahim gestured to the old photograph of Watak Shaheed. Jamil Jan Kochai, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gesture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin gestura mode of action, from Latin gestus, past participle of gerere

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1542, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of gesture was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near gesture

Cite this Entry

“Gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gesture. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gesture

1 of 2 noun
ges·​ture ˈjes-chər How to pronounce gesture (audio)
ˈjesh-
1
: a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or a feeling
2
: something said or done by way of courtesy or for its effect on other people
a political gesture

gesture

2 of 2 verb
gestured; gesturing
: to make or direct with a gesture

More from Merriam-Webster on gesture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!