middle finger

American

[mid-l fing-ger] / ˈmɪd l ˈfɪŋ gər /

noun

the finger between the forefinger and the third finger.
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.

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.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre could face disciplinary action at the Masters after he directed a middle finger at the 15th green during a quadruple bogey.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

As my bare right hand moved to protect the ball when it entered my glove, it suddenly bounced up sharply and hit the tip of my right hand’s middle finger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and touches the forefinger and middle finger of his right hand to his lips.

From Salon • Sep. 7, 2025

“They’re taking creative liberty with the facts and deciding to give a jury of Trevor Kirk’s peers the middle finger and it should not be tolerated,” she told The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2025

But it’s the heavy gold ring hanging loosely on his middle finger that draws my eye.

From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023