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• thumbs-up
  thumbs-up

  noun

  an act, instance, or gesture of assent, approval, or the like.
• thumbs up
  thumbs up

  Expressions of approval and disapproval respectively: “The two critics disagreed about the movie; one gave it thumbs up, the other thumbs down.” In the gladiatorial contests of ancient Rome, a thumbs-up gesture from the crowd meant that the loser would live; thumbs down meant death.

thumbs-up

American  

[thuhmz-uhp] / ˈθʌmzˈʌp /

noun

Informal.

thumbs-ups plural

1. an act, instance, or gesture of assent, approval, or the like.

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thumbs up Cultural  

1. Expressions of approval and disapproval respectively: “The two critics disagreed about the movie; one gave it thumbs up, the other thumbs down.” In the gladiatorial contests of ancient Rome, a thumbs-up gesture from the crowd meant that the loser would live; thumbs down meant death.

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thumbs up Idioms  

1. An expression of approval or hopefulness, as in The town said thumbs up on building the elderly housing project. The antonym thumbs down indicates disapproval or rejection, as in Mother gave us thumbs down on serving beer at our party. Alluding to crowd signals used in Roman amphitheaters, these idioms were first recorded in English about 1600. In ancient times the meaning of the gestures was opposite that of today. Thumbs down indicated approval; thumbs up, rejection. Exactly when the reversal occurred is not known, but the present conventions were established by the early 1900s.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thumbs-ups
  plural

Etymology

Origin of thumbs-up

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thumbs-up thumbs up thumbs-ups

Earlier this year, SpaceX’s request for a smaller expansion was given the thumbs-up.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Some stopped him for pictures as he beamed down the camera and flashed a thumbs-up.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

“My Barstow street taco, I’m going to enjoy,” he concluded in an accent from his native England, while giving a thumbs-up.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

"How was the route, guys?" a man asked in one clip, as someone at the back of the lorry gave a thumbs-up.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

I pull out my phone, sending a thumbs-up emoji to Will.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

On Tuesday afternoon, Harry smiled and gave a thumbs up to crowds as he stepped into his car following an Invictus Games event.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

After the first defendant, O'Dare was sentenced and taken into the dock, people in the public gallery shouted "love you Ash" and gave thumbs up and shouts of support.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

She gives me a thumbs up, and with a kiss and a warm hug, we say goodbye.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026

She flashed two thumbs up to her coaching team before dropping in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026

When she waved, Roy gave her two thumbs up and chuckled, because it was pretty funny—Beatrice the Bear waving at Tex, the new kid.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Along with 31 thumbs-ups, eight angry faces and several other emojis, the post got 24 comments.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2025

Driving a vehicle that garners that level of attention means lots of nods, thumbs-ups, and the brief conversation after parking in a public lot.

From The Verge ● Aug. 8, 2022

When the jurors were discharged and Guzman stood to leave the courtroom, the couple traded thumbs-ups.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2019

So Abby has earned King's stamp of approval, as well as a string of thumbs-ups in reviews across the country.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2016

She smiles, gives me two thumbs-ups and a look that says, you got this.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith