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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

But if you watch the full clip from TMZ, he actually offers a small wave and a thumbs-up before being loaded into a van, although he doesn’t speak.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

He emphasizes the point by revealing that he gave another driver a thumbs-up after being given permission to turn in a busy intersection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

“My Barstow street taco, I’m going to enjoy,” he concluded in an accent from his native England, while giving a thumbs-up.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

I adjust the level a little and give her the thumbs-up.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

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

As he walked in to court, he refused to answer questions but gave a thumbs up and said: "Wish me luck guys. See you soon, hopefully."

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Jones was in the arena conducting an interview with the Netflix broadcast team when he received the challenge and gave a thumbs up amid the crowd’s cheers.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026

According to the Associated Press, Bryant flashed a thumbs up to a person in the courtroom before leaving.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026

She gives me two thumbs up and laughs.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

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

So Abby has earned King's stamp of approval, as well as a string of thumbs-ups in reviews across the country.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2016

He signaled to his tent and then to himself and gave the helicopter a series of frantic thumbs-ups and a-okay signals.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

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