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Glite Dictionary
to wave one's hand dismissively

to wave one's hand dismissively

6.7
To move your hand to show you do not care
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : gesticular despectivamente
  • Don't wave your hand dismissively at me!

Examples

  • The manager waved her hand dismissively, clearly uninterested in further questions.

  • She waved her hand dismissively and turned away from the conversation.

  • When the idea was brought up, he waved his hand dismissively and laughed.

  • Stop waving your hand dismissively during the meeting!

  • She waved her hand dismissively, indicating that she was not interested in the conversation.

  • As the speaker continued, he waved his hand dismissively, showing that he disagreed with their opinion.

  • When the proposal was presented, he waved his hand dismissively, suggesting that it was not worth considering.

Synonyms

to dismiss
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
332 3.0

To refuse to accept an idea or claim

is a visible hand action used to show rejection rather than a private decision
to shake one's head
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
284 1.9

Move your head from side to side to show you do not agree

is a hand motion indicating disregard rather than a head movement of disapproval
to shrug
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
65 2.1

Raise and lower your shoulders slightly to show you do not know or care

is a deliberate hand movement showing active rejection rather than mere uncertainty
to brush off
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
  • Informal
22 3.9

To ignore what someone says or feels as unimportant

is a brief visible hand gesture that shows disregard rather than sustained ignoring
to thumb one's nose at
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
  • Informal
8 9.2

To show open disrespect by refusing to follow rules or customs

is a simple hand movement showing casual disregard rather than bold contempt
to wave away
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
4 5.3

Treat a question or problem as not important

is the visible hand movement that expresses disregard rather than verbal refusal
to wave off
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
  • Informal
2 5.9

Treat something as unimportant and ignore it

is the single hand motion used to show quick rejection or dismissal
to give someone the brush-off
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
  • Informal
2 7.5

To reject someone quickly and rudely

is a quick hand movement expressing disregard, not necessarily rude speech
to wave aside
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
1 6.1

To treat something as not important and ignore it

is the deliberate hand movement that shows clear disregard or rejection
to hand-wave
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
  • Informal
1 8.3

To give a quick, unclear answer instead of real facts

is a clear single hand motion that shows disregard rather than evasive explanation
to cold-shoulder
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
  • Informal
1 7.7

To ignore someone on purpose to show you are angry or unfriendly

is a quick visible hand action showing dismissal rather than longterm social ignoring
to neg
vsto wave one's hand dismissively
  • Informal
9.9

To say no to an idea or plan without giving a reason

is the visible hand movement that expresses casual rejection rather than verbal refusal

Antonyms

to invite
∞ 1.0

To ask someone politely to come or take part in an event

to welcome
583 1.0

Greet someone in a friendly way when they arrive

How Dismissive

to snub
7 6.3
to ignore
∞ 1.0
to wave one's hand dismissively
6.7
to brush off
  • Informal
22 3.9

Surface Forms

wave one's hand dismissively infinitive
waved one's hand dismissively past
waved one's hand dismissively past participle
waving one's hand dismissively present participle
waves one's hand dismissively third person singular

Morphology

wave + one + hand + dismissively

The meaning is directly and transparently built from the constituents: 'wave' (move one's hand), 'hand' (the body part), and 'dismissively' (in a belittling or rejecting manner), so the overall sense of making a dismissive hand gesture is immediately inferable. This gesture+adverb composition is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English syntax, so a B1 learner who knows the words should understand it.

Etymology

Wave one's hand dismissively shows a simple scene: someone makes a quick wave with their hand as if brushing something away. That small movement says 'I don't care' or 'leave it', so the gesture means to show you don't care about or to reject someone's idea.