Meaning & use
arms folded
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Having your arms crossed over your chest, with one hand resting on the opposite arm.
Grammar: Used after a verb like sit, stand, or wait, or after 'with': 'She waited with her arms folded.'
Patterns
- with your arms folded
- sit with arms folded
- stand with arms folded
He stood by the door with his arms folded, watching the crowd.
She sat with her arms folded and said nothing during the whole meeting.
The teacher waited, arms folded, until the class became quiet.
Common combinations
- sit with arms folded
- He sat with arms folded, listening to the argument.
- stand with arms folded
- She stood with arms folded, clearly not impressed.
- wait with arms folded
- They waited with arms folded for the bus to arrive.
- arms folded across the chest
- He leaned back, arms folded across the chest.
Synonyms and how they differ
- arms crossed
- Very similar, but 'arms crossed' can also mean simply placing one arm over the other, while 'arms folded' often suggests a closed or defensive posture.
Commonly confused: arms folded or folded arms?
arms folded vs folded arms
'Folded arms' is a noun phrase describing the arms themselves, while 'arms folded' describes the position of the person. You say 'He sat with arms folded,' not 'He sat with folded arms' when describing the pose.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Arms folded' is the correct fixed phrase describing the position. 'Folding' would suggest the action is happening, 'fold arms' is not a standard phrase, and 'fold' is the wrong form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “arms folded”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.