thumbs-up

[ thuhmz-uhp ]

noun

, Informal.

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

thumbs up

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thumbs-up¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

He took out his phone, smiled, and took a picture of himself with the huge “Trump” sign in the background, as he gave a big “thumbs up”.

From Salon

I even might have given a thumbs up or two as I walked out the door.

From Los Angeles Times

When it was done, Stills gave Young two thumbs up.

From Los Angeles Times

Here’s our review of the film: Two thumbs up.

From Los Angeles Times

Released last Friday, critics have already given Everybody Needs a Hero an enthusiastic thumbs up.

From BBC