thumbs-up
noun Informal.
Origin of thumbs-up
Words nearby thumbs-up
Definition for thumbs up (2 of 2)
noun
verb (used with object)
Origin of thumb
OTHER WORDS FROM thumb
thumb·less, adjective thumb·like, adjectiveBritish Dictionary definitions for thumbs up
noun
verb
Derived forms of thumb
thumbless, adjective thumblike, adjectiveWord Origin for thumb
Medical definitions for thumbs up
n.
Cultural definitions for 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.
Idioms and Phrases with thumbs up (1 of 2)
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.