middle finger
Americannoun
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middle fingers
plural
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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.
“She said that looks like a middle finger chart,” referring to the company’s $20 billion in debt with 10% of it due in 2027, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
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
Anderson’s original “Resident Evil” film franchise, the writer-director — known for his abrasive, nu-metal vulgar auteurism — raises a middle finger of sorts to his detractors.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Right-hander Roki Sasaki is working back from a blister on his middle finger and is penciled in to return from the IL next week against the Padres.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Lance does not show me his middle finger.
From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
