as in gesturing
to move your arms and hands especially when speaking in an angry or emotional way
He was gesticulating wildly during his speech.
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Recent Examples of gesticulating
Video footage of the incident obtained by KQED appears to show the women gesticulating and shouting at the correctional staff before the officers form a line and deploy pepper spray and mace grenades at the group.
—
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The video, without sound, shows the three of them gesticulating at each other before the 13-year-old in red pants appears to charge David and stab him.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
Bess finally blurted out, gesticulating and knocking over her glass of wine just as Sam opened a new bottle.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
In preschool, he was given a wordless role as Farmer McGregor in a school production of Peter Rabbit and began hamming it up, counting the missing tomatoes and gesticulating at his nemesis rabbit.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Their remaining team-mates applauded the away enclosure, but many in that section were gesticulating their disdain.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The video, without sound, shows the three of them gesticulating at each other before the 13-year-old in red pants appears to charge David and stab him.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
Bess finally blurted out, gesticulating and knocking over her glass of wine just as Sam opened a new bottle.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
In preschool, he was given a wordless role as Farmer McGregor in a school production of Peter Rabbit and began hamming it up, counting the missing tomatoes and gesticulating at his nemesis rabbit.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Their remaining team-mates applauded the away enclosure, but many in that section were gesticulating their disdain.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gesticulating
Verb
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Though Washington is revered today, his position was extremely fragile at the time, Kesten said, gesturing at an image of a painting of von Steuben and Washington.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The beat is knowingly Hoover-esque, gesturing toward familiar dramatic territory between lovers — before violently swerving in a more genre-forward direction.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During the game, the camera highlighted the couple, and their daughters quickly took the opportunity to make their presence known by waving towards the big screen, per E!—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
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Subsequent to the election, at the now infamous Four Seasons landscaping press conference, Rudy Giuliani was waving my decision in the air and decrying the fact that dead people voted in Pennsylvania.—
John E. Jones III,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For designer Anita Yokota, Benjamin Moore’s Smoky Blue is a standout—a soothing, nature-nodding hue that soothes on sight.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
26 Apr. 2026
-
And Berryman’s script is chock full of sharp humor and gut-wrenching insights that had many women in the opening-night audience nodding frequently in affirmation.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gesticulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gesticulating. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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