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
V. L. Parrington
gestured; gesturing
: to make a gesture (see gesture entry 1 sense 1)
: to express or direct by a gesture (see gesture entry 1 sense 1)
Synonyms
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
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Jan. 2025
My friend was kind and firm and really did show her friendship by caring for me in this way.
– Good Friend
Dear Friend: The kind but firm redirect is a great gesture.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2025
Marnie Shure, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
And so, being able to try and make something that would be like a special Christmas occasion and a ritual that would also gesture back to those roots felt like a reason to undertake something that was objectively difficult and perhaps crazy.
—Bon Appétit, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gesture 
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Noun
The potential solution, detailed in a study published in the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics, requires first classifying various facial gestures like yawning, blinking, and breathing as individual waveforms.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Jan. 2025
My friend was kind and firm and really did show her friendship by caring for me in this way.
– Good Friend
Dear Friend: The kind but firm redirect is a great gesture.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
The key to the show’s appeal is Rosenthal’s interviewing style, which keeps him present in the conversation rather than gesturing toward its eventual audience; in other words, his interest appears genuine rather than performative.
—Marnie Shure, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
And so, being able to try and make something that would be like a special Christmas occasion and a ritual that would also gesture back to those roots felt like a reason to undertake something that was objectively difficult and perhaps crazy.
—Bon Appétit, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gesture
Dictionary Entries Near gesture
Cite this Entry
“Gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gesture. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gesture
1 of 2 noun
ges·ture
ˈjes-chər 
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
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