clenched fist
14
4.2
- noun
- The protestors raised their clenched fists in solidarity as they marched down the street.
- clenched fists raised
- clenched-fist salute
- holds up his clenched fist
Examples
-
"I will catch you!" yelled Montez, holding up a clenched fist.
Fiction book (1994) -
Her daughter stands there looking doleful, the suede gloves drooping from her clenched fist.
Fiction book (1994) -
And Ben raised a clenched fist and raised his voice.
Fiction book (1997) -
And then her hand changes to a clenched fist, and she screams...
Fiction book (1990) -
The clenched fist and kind of the body movements said to me this guy is at the heart of what he sings.
-
The prisoners raise their clenched fists together in silent unison.
Fiction book (1992) -
I pounded the clay with clenched fists as I listened to him turn on his music in the other room.
Fiction book (1993) -
Veins bulge on the side of his neck; he holds his clenched fists tight against his sides.
Fiction book (1996) -
An old Venceremos poster of a clenched fist hung above his desk, the edges yellowed and curling.
Fiction book (1999) -
When he heard the news of the team's loss, he responded with a clenched fist and a scowl.
Synonyms
361
1.0
A hand with fingers curled tightly into the palm used for hitting or showing feeling
How Tense
14
4.2
361
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'clenched' (closed/squeezed) + 'fist' (closed hand), yielding a hand with the fingers tightly closed. The gesture semantics (anger, determination, tension, solidarity) are cross-linguistically common and therefore readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The noun clenched fist comes from the simple sight of a clenched fist, with the fingers closed hard into the palm. Because a tight hand like that is used to hit or to show strength, the image now stands for 'anger', 'determination', or 'solidarity'.