akimbo
Americanadjective
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with hand on hip and elbow bent outward.
to stand with arms akimbo.
-
(of limbs) splayed out in an awkward or ungainly manner.
After the strenuous hike, she sat on the floor with her legs akimbo.
-
(of limbs) fully extended in opposite directions.
The dancer warmed up with his arms and legs stretched akimbo.
-
to one side; askew; awry: He woke up from his nap, hair akimbo.
They wore their hats akimbo.
He woke up from his nap, hair akimbo.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of akimbo
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English in kenebowe, from unattested Old Norse i keng boginn “bent into a crook” ( i “in,” keng, accusative of kengr “hook,” boginn, past participle of bjūga “to bend”)
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.
Only the huge boots and akimbo shirt collar remind viewers of his frontier background.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
For Season 1, he gave Mark S. that burden, except Mark is holding a group of other Marks, limbs akimbo.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2025
You won’t find anything akimbo with this Kimberly.
From Washington Post • Nov. 10, 2022
The 16-foot-high gilded crucifix is stored in crated sections, Jesus lying akimbo in the garage.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2021
A man stood surveying these works, his thin arms akimbo and his fists, one of which grasped an authoritative-looking stick, propped on his skinny hips.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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.
