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• thumbs-up
  thumbs-up

  noun

  an act, instance, or gesture of assent, approval, or the like.
• thumbs up
  thumbs up

  Expressions of approval and disapproval respectively: “The two critics disagreed about the movie; one gave it thumbs up, the other thumbs down.” In the gladiatorial contests of ancient Rome, a thumbs-up gesture from the crowd meant that the loser would live; thumbs down meant death.

thumbs-up

American  

[thuhmz-uhp] / ˈθʌmzˈʌp /

noun

Informal.

• thumbs-ups
  plural

1. an act, instance, or gesture of assent, approval, or the like.

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thumbs up Cultural  

1. Expressions of approval and disapproval respectively: “The two critics disagreed about the movie; one gave it thumbs up, the other thumbs down.” In the gladiatorial contests of ancient Rome, a thumbs-up gesture from the crowd meant that the loser would live; thumbs down meant death.

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thumbs up Idioms  

1. An expression of approval or hopefulness, as in The town said thumbs up on building the elderly housing project. The antonym thumbs down indicates disapproval or rejection, as in Mother gave us thumbs down on serving beer at our party. Alluding to crowd signals used in Roman amphitheaters, these idioms were first recorded in English about 1600. In ancient times the meaning of the gestures was opposite that of today. Thumbs down indicated approval; thumbs up, rejection. Exactly when the reversal occurred is not known, but the present conventions were established by the early 1900s.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thumbs-ups
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of thumbs-up

First recorded in 1920–25

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thumbs-up thumbs up thumbs-ups

Some passing drivers honked in support and gave the protesters a thumbs-up, but others gave them the middle finger.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

He posted a selfie with a thumbs-up and a caption that read, “Solid effort, but at least make it count next time.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

He entered the courtroom with a smile and a thumbs-up to the cameras but exploded with anger at the verdicts.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

He offers Gruel a lazy thumbs-up, accepts the chef’s joke about cooking for a dignitary and immediately turns to the camera to recite the show’s mission statement.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

Ivy wiggled her matching rainbow nails back, and Gigi gave her a red thumbs-up.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

He posted a video on Instagram making a thumbs up sign from inside his car.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

He walked out of a police station on Saturday afternoon, waving to the media and giving a thumbs up as he was driven away, an AFP photographer saw.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

After each pitch, the host asks audience members to hold up their paddle, which has a green thumbs up and a red thumbs down to indicate whether they agree or disagree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

A 10-second video of the press yelling at McConnell to speak or give a thumbs up — with seemingly zero response from the senator — has gone viral.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover—and probably not by its title, either—but I instantly want to give it 2 thumbs up or 5 stars.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

I get thumbs-ups from Mustang drivers and cool head nods from Challenger owners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

Along with 31 thumbs-ups, eight angry faces and several other emojis, the post got 24 comments.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2025

Driving a vehicle that garners that level of attention means lots of nods, thumbs-ups, and the brief conversation after parking in a public lot.

From The Verge ● Aug. 8, 2022

When the jurors were discharged and Guzman stood to leave the courtroom, the couple traded thumbs-ups.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2019

Thorn gave her two thumbs-ups and said it so cheerfully, Seven knew she meant it sincerely.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

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