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gesture

gesture

245 3.2
An action done to show feeling or good will rather than to change things
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛstʃər/
: gesto
  • A small caring gesture can light someone's life up as well.
  • a symbolic gesture
  • a goodwill gesture
  • a dramatic gesture

OK, like the grand gestures I don't fully love.

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Examples

  • l'm flattered by the gesture, but a couple of bucks here and there will be fine.

  • Well, listen, I really appreciate the gesture, but I think I wanna go home tonight.

  • A gesture of trust, dear friend.

  • Those sorts of gestures build trust and partnership.

  • What happened last week was very regrettable and unfortunate... ...and, as a gesture, I would like to... ...sign your cast, please.

  • In previous months, she had used these gestures to convey her words when sound failed.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The ideas for the play come first, and the gestures arise from the struggle to communicate them clearly.

    Academic text (2008)
  • -Being willing to risk your life for someone else is the noblest of gestures.

  • She made a heartfelt gesture of goodwill by donating to the local charity.

  • His kind gesture of offering her a ride home showed he cared.

Synonyms

sign
vsgesture
109 1.8

A movement made to show meaning or give an instruction

focuses on single symbolic acts rather than language systems
gesticulation
vsgesture
1 7.4

Movements of the hands and arms that show feeling or make a point when you speak

is broader and covers symbolic acts beyond speech emphasis
wafture
vsgesture
  • Archaic
9.9

A movement of the hand or arm to send a signal

includes symbolic acts beyond simple hand or arm signals

Compounds

An action that shows care for someone

A movement of the face to show emotion or send a message without words

lanjiao gesture
  • Offensive
9.9

A rude Chinese hand gesture used to show anger or insult someone

A loose wrist movement used to show sarcasm or mock someone

An uncontrolled sudden jerky movement of a hand or body

How Symbolic

ceremony
901 2.5
gesture
245 3.2
signal
670 2.1
act
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

gesture singular
gestures plural

Etymology

Gesture comes from the Latin gestus and gerere, meaning 'to carry' or 'to do', and is the same root as suggest. A gesture in this sense is an action that 'carries' a message or feeling, so a small act can show thanks or intention even if it does not change anything practical.