gesticulate

American  

[je-stik-yuh-leyt] / dʒɛˈstɪk yəˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

gesticulated, gesticulating

1. to make or use gestures, especially in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech.

   Synonyms:

   signal, wave, motion, gesture

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verb (used with object)

gesticulated, gesticulating

1. to express by gesturing.

gesticulate British  

/ dʒɛˈstɪkjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. to express by or make gestures

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Other Word Forms

• gesticulative adjective
• gesticulator noun
• gesticulatory adjective
• overgesticulate verb
• overgesticulative adjective
• overgesticulatively adverb
• ungesticulating adjective
• ungesticulative adjective
• ungesticulatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of gesticulate

1595–1605; < Latin gesticulātus (past participle of gesticulārī ), equivalent to Late Latin (assumed in Latin ) gesticul ( us ) gesture (diminutive of gestus; gestic, -cule ¹ ) + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Let the officers pore over their digital maps and the soldiers gesticulate obscurely at one another on the field.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

They even made note of our facial expressions and the way we would gesticulate, and they worked that into it a bit, so I would say it was unusually collaborative.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2024

They grin and gesticulate as they take it in turns to talk.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2023

City’s manager was furious, repeatedly turning to the Anfield fans behind the dugout to gesticulate.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2022

It was maddening to watch the quarrelers gesticulate and utter tantalizingly elusive sentences which were, even when I opened the door of the office in hope of eavesdropping, swallowed up in the roar of traffic.

From Four and Twenty Beds by Vogel, Nancy