# thumbs up

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A gesture signifying approval or okay; a thumb pointing up out of a fist.
2. An approval or OK.

## Etymology
Said to refer to the signal of approval or disapproval used by spectators at a Roman amphitheatre, but the directions have been reversed, and the Roman gesture was a bent thumb.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/thumbs-up