shake one's head

1. Express disapproval, dissent, or doubt, as in That announcement had us shaking our heads in dismay. This expression, which can be used both literally (for moving one's head from side to side) and figuratively, dates from about 1300.

Example Sentences

"One can only shake one's head at Deutsche Bank, once again," Stephan Szukalski, chairman of the DBV bank union, said as Claudio de Sanctis prepares to take over as head of the German retail business on July 1.

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Exquisitely photographed in its mature state, the brilliantly designed garden as site of infamous combat between the artist and Getty Center architect Richard Meier, who had his own more pedestrian garden design in mind, makes one shake one’s head yet again.

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And one could only shake one’s head at this heartbreaking work of staggering absurdity and say, “God bless.”

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It has been described as “a near perfect work of art” with an ending that “raised the bar so utterly … all one could do was shake one’s head in appreciation”.

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In its review, the Guardian said the second series "raised the bar so utterly that at times Waller-Bridge's risks and progression were so impressive all one could do was shake one's head in appreciation".

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