Meaning & use
motioned
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“motioned” is a form of “motion”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive or intransitive
made a movement with your hand or head to tell someone to do something or to show direction.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (motioned someone) or without (motioned to someone). Often followed by 'to' + infinitive or a prepositional phrase.
Patterns
- motion to someone
- motion for someone to do something
- motion someone to do something
- motion toward something
The teacher motioned to the class to be quiet.
He motioned for us to follow him into the room.
She motioned toward the exit with a quick nod of her head.
Word forms
| base form | motion |
|---|---|
| third person singular | motions |
| past tense | motioned |
| past participle | motioned |
| -ing form | motioning |
Common combinations
- motion to someone
- The waiter motioned to us from across the room.
- motion for someone to do something
- She motioned for the driver to stop.
- motion with your hand
- He motioned with his hand for me to come closer.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- motion noun
- A movement or a formal proposal in a meeting.
- motionless adjective
- Not moving at all.
Commonly confused: motioned or motion (noun)?
motioned vs motion (noun)
The noun 'motion' means movement or a proposal; the verb 'motion' means to make a gesture.
Practice
She ______ to the waiter to bring the bill.
Choose one answer.
The sentence is in the past tense, so the past form 'motioned' is needed. 'Motion' is the base form, 'motioning' is the -ing form, and 'motions' is present tense for he/she/it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “motioned”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.