middle finger
Americannoun
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the finger between the forefinger and the third finger.
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Slang. an obscene gesture of contempt made by pointing this finger upward while folding the other fingers against the palm; the finger.
The driver honked his horn and got the middle finger from the biker.
Usage
What else does middle finger mean? Giving someone the middle finger is an offensive gesture in which a person flips up their middle finger in a fist to show contempt or defiance.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of middle finger
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As someone who has hyper-specific playlists to regulate my moods, I appreciate that whether you want to party, chill outside or brandish your middle finger to the world, the Salon DJ Collective has you covered.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Ohtani has been dealing with a small blister on the middle finger of his right hand for his last couple starts, Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
While she wasn't able to capture one of the men pointing his middle finger at her sister, she did manage to record the driver opening the door and shouting at them.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
Shortly afterwards MacIntyre, who declined to speak to the media, posted a picture on his Instagram account of a gnome resembling himself with an extended middle finger.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
On the middle finger, the grey had crept up past the second knuckle.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
