thumbstick

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US/ˈθʌmˌstɪk/

noun

A small joystick, generally part of a larger game controller, that can be operated with the thumb.

Similar
analog stick
RareScrabble 23
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Meanings

nounthumbstick (plural thumbsticks)

plural thumbsticks

  1. video gamesA small joystick, generally part of a larger game controller, that can be operated with the thumb.

    Occasionally, when playing any given PC port, you’ll experience disorienting frame drops when using a mouse to control a camera that clearly was designed to move only as fluidly as console thumbsticks would allow.

    2023 May 25, Nic Reuben, “The Lord of the Rings: Gollum review”, in The Guardian

    Synonyms: analog stick

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA small joystick, generally part of a larger game controller, that can be operated with the thumb.

Similar
analog stick

Origin

From thumb + stick.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 类比摇杆 類比搖桿 /类比摇杆
  • 类比摇杆 類比搖桿 /类比摇杆 (lèibǐyáogǎn)joystick
Finnish tatti
  • tattijoystick
French stick analogique
  • stick analogiquejoystick
Cite this entry
APA

thumbstick. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thumbstick

MLA

“thumbstick.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thumbstick. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thumbstick,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thumbstick.

Source: thumbstick on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.