hand waving

noun

Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.

“The sales pitch sounded good, but there was a lot of hand waving about the price.”

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Meanings

nounhand waving (plural hand wavings)

plural hand wavings

  1. idiomaticDiscussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.

    The sales pitch sounded good, but there was a lot of hand waving about the price.

    1 more example

    Protesters who demand that this brilliantly humane enterprise be stopped should have their motives questioned. Their protest is nothing but the mindless hand waving of Luddites.

    2000 August 21, “letter”, in Time

Translations

Arabic تَلْوِيح بِالْيَد
  • تَلْوِيح بِالْيَد (talwīḥ bi-l-yad)argumentation involving approximation
Finnish käsienheiluttelu
  • käsienheilutteluargumentation involving approximation
Hebrew נפנופי־ידיים
  • נפנופי־ידייםargumentation involving approximation
Polish niejasna argumentacja
  • niejasna argumentacjaargumentation involving approximation
Cite this entry
APA

hand waving. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hand%20waving

MLA

“hand waving.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hand%20waving. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hand waving,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hand%20waving.

Source: hand waving on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.