give (someone) the finger
idiom
informal
: to make an offensive gesture at someone by pointing the middle finger upward while keeping the other fingers folded down
He gave them the finger.
Examples of give (someone) the finger in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maybe honk my horn, maybe even give someone the finger.
—
Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 25 Nov. 2022
Maternal abandonment in particular, and the question of why a woman would give the finger to biological imperative and desert her children, has occupied all kinds of gorgeous, unconventional stories of late.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 25 Nov. 2022
Maternal abandonment in particular, and the question of why a woman would give the finger to biological imperative and desert her children, has occupied all kinds of gorgeous, unconventional stories of late.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Give (someone) the finger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20%28someone%29%20the%20finger. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share