thumbs-down
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of thumbs-down
First recorded in 1885–90
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.
Asking around in recruiting circles, I heard about a man whose candidacy was doomed by a thumbs-down from his stepmother, who worked in the same industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
If a product - say Viennese-style sausages from Kostelecké uzeniny or sliced bread from Penam - belongs to an Agrofert company, a thumbs-down symbol appears.
From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025
Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — who has occasionally written articles for The Times — also gave the “bias meter” a thumbs-down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2024
I remain in the thumbs-down camp concerning the prequels, by the way; instead of rehashing the same quibbles, I’ll simply direct you to Charles Taylor’s 1999 review for Salon.
From Salon ● May 25, 2024
Shawn stepped forward to inspect the egg, and my head rang with Mom would be so disappointed in me—but then he gave a thumbs-down.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
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.
