give the finger

verb

To make an obscene gesture (towards someone) by closing the fist and extending the middle finger upwards.

“Zelda gave Travis the finger after he cut her off in traffic.”

Similar
flick offflip offflip the bird
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Meanings

verbgive the finger (third-person singular simple present gives the finger, present participle giving the finger, simple past gave the finger, past participle given the finger)

present singular third person gives the finger · participle present giving the finger · past gave the finger · participle past given the finger · alternative uncommon give the fingers

  1. transitiveusuallyTo make an obscene gesture (towards someone) by closing the fist and extending the middle finger upwards.

    Zelda gave Travis the finger after he cut her off in traffic.

    Synonyms: flick off, flip off, flip the bird

  2. intransitiveTo make any sort of gesture extending one of the fingers above the others.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo make an obscene gesture (towards someone) by closing the fist and extending the middle finger upwards.

Similar
flick offflip offflip the bird
Also see
flip the birdone-finger salutetrudeau salute

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 舉中指 /举中指
  • 舉中指 /举中指 (geoi² zung¹ zi²)make an obscene gesture
Chinese Mandarin 豎中指 /竖中指
  • 豎中指 /竖中指 (shù zhōngzhǐ)make an obscene gesture
Danish gi' fingeren
  • gi' fingerenmake an obscene gesture
Finnish näyttää keskisormea
  • näyttää keskisormeamake an obscene gesture
French faire un doigt d'honneur, faire un doigt
  • faire un doigt d'honneurmake an obscene gesture
  • faire un doigtmake an obscene gesture
German den Stinkefinger zeigen
  • den Stinkefinger zeigenmake an obscene gesture
Hungarian beint
  • beintmake an obscene gesture
Italian mostrare il dito medio
  • mostrare il dito mediomake an obscene gesture
Portuguese mostrar o dedo do meio
  • mostrar o dedo do meiomake an obscene gesture
Spanish alzar el dedo, hacer la peineta
  • alzar el dedomake an obscene gesture
  • hacer la peinetamake an obscene gesture
  • hacer un corte de mangamake an obscene gesture
Swedish peka finger, ge fingret
  • peka fingermake an obscene gesture
  • ge fingretmake an obscene gesture
Cite this entry
APA

give the finger. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20the%20finger

MLA

“give the finger.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20the%20finger. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give the finger,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20the%20finger.

Source: give the finger on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.