Expressing Body Language and Gestures: English Vocabulary List

to express a meaning with a movement of the hands, face, head, etc.

"He used his hand to gesture."

"He used his hands to gesture toward the exit so everyone would know which way to go during the fire drill."

to move one's head up and down as a sign of agreement, understanding, or greeting

"She will nod in agreement."

"The audience members nodded their heads in agreement as the speaker made each important point during his presentation."

to make our mouth curve upwards, often in a way that our teeth can be seen, to show that we are happy or amused

"Please smile for the camera."

"The photographer asked everyone to smile for the family portrait so the picture would look warm and happy."

to tightly and closely hold someone in one's arms, typically a person one loves

"She will hug her mother tightly."

"The little girl ran to hug her father as soon as he walked through the front door after work."

to touch someone else's lips or other body parts with one's lips to show love, sexual desire, respect, etc.

"The couple kissed under moonlight."

"The young couple kissed each other goodbye at the airport before she boarded her flight to Paris."

to enthusiastically slap someone's raised palm with your own as a celebration, greeting, or show of agreement

"Give me a high-five!"

"After scoring the winning goal, the entire team rushed to give him a high-five to celebrate their victory."

to give someone a sign of welcoming or a polite word when meeting them

"He will greet the guests warmly."

"It is polite to greet your neighbors when you see them in the hallway or on the street."

to bring your eyebrows closer together showing anger, sadness, or confusion

"The teacher frowned at the noise."

"The teacher frowned at the student who was talking loudly during the important lecture."

an instance or gesture that indicates approval or satisfaction

"He gave me a thumbs up."

"The teacher gave a thumbs up when she saw our completed project work."

used to indicate failure or disapproval

"The movie got a thumbs down from critics."

"His proposal received a unanimous thumbs down from the board of directors."

to draw back involuntarily, often in response to fear, pain, embarrassment, or discomfort

"The bad joke made me cringe."

"Many people cringe when they remember embarrassing things they said or did years ago in their youth."

to make a kissing gesture with one's hand or lips and send it toward another person as a sign of affection

"She blew him a kiss."

"The little girl blew her father a kiss before running off to school."

to hope for good luck or a positive outcome, often literally or symbolically overlapping the middle finger over the index finger

"I cross my fingers for luck."

"I will cross my fingers for you during your job interview tomorrow morning."

to laugh in a light, silly, or often uncontrollable way as a result of nervousness or embarrassment

"The girls giggled at the secret."

"The young girls giggled quietly among themselves while sharing secrets during the sleepover party."

to press one's teeth against the lip as a reaction to emotion, pain, or to prevent oneself from saying something

"Bite your lip now."

"He had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud suddenly."

to unexpectedly open one's mouth wide and deeply breathe in because of being bored or tired

"He will yawn now."

"During the long and monotonous presentation, several audience members couldn't help but yawn from sheer boredom."

to link hands with someone as an expression of affection, unity, or support

"They are holding hands."

"The old couple still like to hold hands when they go for walks."

to cause surprise, curiosity, or mild shock among people due to something unconventional, unexpected, or controversial

"His actions raised eyebrows."

"The CEO's sudden resignation without explanation was enough to raise many eyebrows throughout the entire company."