Meaning & use
gesture
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Meanings
nouncountable
A movement of the hands, head or body that conveys a meaning or feeling without words.
Grammar: Has a plural: she made two quick gestures.
Patterns
- a gesture of something
- make a gesture
He made a rude gesture at the driver who cut him off.
With a wave of her hand, the teacher invited us to sit down.
A shrug is a gesture that many cultures understand as 'I don't know'.
nouncountable
Something done to show a feeling or intention toward someone, often with little practical effect.
Grammar: Usually followed by of or a describing adjective: a kind gesture, a gesture of thanks.
Patterns
- a gesture of goodwill
- a gesture to someone
Sending flowers was a lovely gesture after her surgery.
The company's offer of a free coffee was a token gesture, not a real apology.
As a gesture of friendship, the two schools exchanged banners.
verbintransitive
To move your hand, arm or head in order to point something out or signal a message.
Grammar: Often followed by to, toward or at: she gestured toward the door.
Patterns
- gesture to someone
- gesture toward something
- gesture for someone to do something
The guard gestured for us to stop.
She gestured toward the empty chair and smiled.
He gestured wildly while telling the story.
Word forms
| plural | gestures |
|---|---|
| third person singular | gestures |
| past tense | gestured |
| past participle | gestured |
| -ing form | gesturing |
Common combinations
- a kind gesture
- Giving up your seat for her was a kind gesture.
- a grand gesture
- He proposed with a grand gesture, hiring a plane to trail a banner.
- a token gesture
- The small discount felt like a token gesture after weeks of delays.
- make a gesture
- She made a calming gesture with both palms.
- gesture of goodwill
- The city freed the prisoners as a gesture of goodwill.
- gesture wildly
- The fisherman gestured wildly to show how big the catch had been.
Synonyms and how they differ
- signal
- A signal is meant to pass on a specific message or command, while a gesture can also be a natural expressive movement or a symbolic act.
- motion
- As a verb, motion is close to gesture but sounds slightly more deliberate and is almost always followed by someone to do something.
- sign
- A sign is often a fixed, agreed movement such as in sign language, whereas a gesture can be loose and personal.
- act
- Act is a general word for anything done, but it lacks the idea of showing a feeling that gesture carries in its second sense.
Word family
- gestural adjective
- relating to or expressed by gestures
- gesticulate verb
- to move your arms and hands energetically while speaking
- gesticulation noun
- an energetic movement of the arms or hands used when speaking
Commonly confused: gesture or posture?
gesture vs posture
Posture is the way you hold your body generally, such as sitting upright, while a gesture is a particular movement that carries a meaning.
Practice
After the argument, Mia sent him a message as a ___ of peace.
Choose one answer.
A gesture of peace is an act that shows a wish to make up. Posture is about how the body is held and does not fit the phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gesture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.