adj
Meaning 1
Waving the hands.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
handwaving
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /ˈhandweɪvɪŋ/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
adj
Meaning 2
Pertaining to empty gesturing, with little substance behind it; vague; not supported by data.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Alternative form of hand waving (“empty gesturing”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative, countable, figuratively, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
present participle and gerund of handwave
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From hand + waving.
Across languages
Translations
4 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: تَلْوِيح بِالْيَد (talwīḥ bi-l-yad) — waving the hands
- Finnish: käsiään heiluttava — waving the hands
- Norwegian: gestikulerende — waving the hands
- Polish: machanie rękoma — waving the hands