Phrase guide

middle finger

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The finger between the forefinger and the ring finger.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fuck finger, long finger, medius, mid-finger, tall man

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An obscene gesture directed towards another as an insult, made by sticking up the middle finger of a hand.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: the finger, dirty finger

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An insult directed at someone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the second finger; between the index finger and the ring finger

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: finger

History

Etymology

From Middle English myddel fynger. By surface analysis, middle + finger.

Across languages

Translations

194 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Southern Altai: ортоҥол (ortoŋol) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Arabic: وُسْطَى (wusṭā) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Arabic: وسطى (wuṣṭā) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Aramaic: ܡܨܥܝܬܐ (meṣʿaytāʾ) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Armenian: միջնամատ (miǰnamat) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Basque: hatz erdiko — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Belarusian: сярэ́дні па́лец (sjarédni páljec) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Central Bikol: manlalabaw — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Breton: biz-bras — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Breton: biz-kreiz — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Bulgarian: сре́ден пръст (sréden prǎst) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Burmese: လက်ခလယ် (lakhka.lai) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Catalan: dit del mig — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Catalan: dit del cor — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Catalan: dit mitger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese Cantonese: 中指 (zung1 zi2) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Hakka Chinese: 棟指 /栋指 (tung-chṳ́) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Hakka Chinese: 中指 (chûng-chṳ́, chûng-chí) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese: 中指 (zh-min-nan) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese: 中營 /中营 (tiong-iân) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese: 中爪 (tiong-jiáu, tiong-niáu) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese Mandarin: 中指 (zhōngzhǐ) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese Mandarin: 三指 (sānzhǐ) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese Mandarin: 將指 /将指 (jiàngzhǐ) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese Mandarin: 玉柱 (yùzhù) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Ngazidja Comorian: shaya sha hari — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Coptic: ⲧⲏⲃ ⲛⲑⲙⲏϯ (tēb nthmēti) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Czech: prostředník — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Czech: prostředníček — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Danish: langfinger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Danish: langemand — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Dolgan: ортокуу чөмүйэ (ortokuu çömüye) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Dutch: middelvinger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Esperanto: longa fingro — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Esperanto: meza fingro — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Esperanto: mezfingro — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Estonian: keskmine sõrm — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Faroese: longutong — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Finnish: keskisormi — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Finnish: keskari — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • French: majeur — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • French: doigt du milieu — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • French: médius — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • French: doigt III — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • French: troisième doigt — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • West-Frisian: middelste finger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Galician: grandiño — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Galician: maioral — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Galician: dedo medio — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Georgian: შუათითი (šuatiti) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • German: Mittelfinger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Greek: μέσος (mésos) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Ancient Greek: σφάκελος (sphákelos) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Paraguayan Guarani: kuãmbyte — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Hebrew: אַמָּה ('amá) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Hebrew: צְרֵדָה (tzredá) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Hindi: मध्यमा (madhyamā) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Hungarian: középső ujj — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Icelandic: langatöng — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Ilocano: akintenga nga ramay — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Indonesian: jari tengah — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Indonesian: jari hantu — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Indonesian: jari malang — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Indonesian: jari mati — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Indonesian: jari panjang — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Ingrian: toin sormi — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Interlingua: digito medie — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Irish: méar mheáin — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Italian: medio — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Italian: dito medio — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Japanese: 中指 (nakayubi) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Javanese: driji panunggul — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Javanese: driji panengah — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Southern Kalinga: pagkawkawa — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Kalmyk: дундк (dundk) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Kannada: ಮಧ್ಯಮ (madhyama) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Kannada: ಎಡೆವೆರಲ್ (eḍeveral) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Kannada: ನಡುಬೆರಳು (naḍuberaḷu) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Khmer: ម្រាមដៃកណ្ដាល (mriəm day kɑɑkɑndaal) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Khmer: ចង្អុលដៃកណ្ដាល (cɑɑngʼoldaykndaal) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Khmer: ចង្អុលខ្មោច (cɑɑngʼolkhmaoc) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Korean: 중지 (jungji) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Korean: 가운뎃손가락 (gaundetson'garak) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Central Kurdish: باڵابەرزە (ballaberze) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Central Kurdish: زەڕنەقووتە (zerrneqûte) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Lao: ນິ້ວກາງ (niu kāng) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Latin: digitus medius — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Latin: digitus tertius — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Macedonian: сре́ден пр́ст (sréden pŕst) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Malay: jari hantu — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Malay: jari tengah — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Malay: jari malang — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Malay: jari mati — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Malay: jari panjang — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Brunei Malay: jari antu — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Brunei Malay: jari tangah — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Malayalam: നടുവിരൽ (naṭuviral) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Maltese: saba’ tan-nofs — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Manchu: ᡩ᠋ᡠ᠋ᠯᡳᠮᠪᠠᡳ ᠰᡳᠮᡥᡠᠨ (dulimbai simhun) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Māori: tōroa — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Māori: māpere — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Marathi: मध्यमा (madhyamā) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Marshallese: addi-eoļap — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Central Melanau: tujok dagen — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Middle English: myddel fynger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Middle English: long fynger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Khiamniungan Naga: phōhkhò vèm — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Navajo: álánézhí — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Nias: turu laŵa — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Norman: maître dé — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Norman: mouss'cotin — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Norwegian Bokmål: langfinger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: langfinger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Old English: middelfinger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Pannonian Rusyn: штреднї палєц (štrednji paljec) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Pannonian Rusyn: стреднї палєц (strednji paljec) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Plautdietsch: Lankhauls — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Polish: środkowy palec — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Polish: palec środkowy — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Portuguese: dedo médio — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Rapa Nui: roa roa tahaŋa — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Romanian: deget mijlociu — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Russian: сре́дний па́лец (srédnij pálec) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Northern Sami: gaskasuorbma — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Skolt-Sami: kõskksuõrmm — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Santali: ᱛᱟᱞᱟ ᱠᱟᱹᱴᱩᱵ (tala kăṭup’) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Scottish Gaelic: gunna fada — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Scottish Gaelic: fionna-fada — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Scottish Gaelic: Fionnlagh fada — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Scottish Gaelic: Màiri fhada — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Scottish Gaelic: meur fada — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Scottish Gaelic: meuragaidh fada — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Scottish Gaelic: corrag-mheadhain — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Scottish Gaelic: meur meadhain — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Serbo-Croatian: средњак — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Serbo-Croatian: средњи прст — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Serbo-Croatian: srednjak — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Serbo-Croatian: srednji prst — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Sicilian: mediu — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Sicilian: jitu minzanu — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Sindhi: وِچِين (vicī̃) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Slovak: prostredník — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Slovene: sredinec — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Spanish: dedo de en medio — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Spanish: dedo del corazón — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Spanish: el dedo — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Spanish: dedo cordial — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Spanish: dedo corazón — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Spanish: dedo medio — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Sranan Tongo: mindrifinga — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Sundanese: jajangkung — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Swahili: kidole cha kati — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Swedish: långfinger — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Tagalog: hinlalato — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Tagalog: hinggigitna — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Tamil: நடுவிரல் (naṭuviral) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Telugu: నడివ్రేలు (naḍivrēlu) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Thai: นิ้วกลาง (níu-glaang) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Tibetan: དཀྱིལ་མཛུབ (dkyil mdzub) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Tigrinya: ማእከለይቶ (maʾkäläyto) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Turkish: orta parmak — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Ottoman Turkish: اورتا پرمق (orta parmak) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Turkmen: orta barmak — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Udmurt: шорчиньы (šorćińy) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Ukrainian: сере́дній па́лець (serédnij pálecʹ) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Vietnamese: ngón giữa — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Vietnamese: ngón tay giữa — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Volapük: mediüt — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Welsh: bys canol — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Welsh: hirfys — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Welsh: canolfys — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Woiwurrung: yū-kope — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Woiwurrung: buladu — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Yakut: ортоку тарбах (ortoku tarbaq) — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Yup'ik: akulipeq — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Yup'ik: alqiliq — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Yup'ik: aquq — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Zhuang: lwgfwngzgyang — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Zulu: uphakathi — finger between the forefinger and the ring finger
  • Chinese Mandarin: 中指 (zhōngzhǐ) — obscene gesture
  • Dutch: middelvinger — obscene gesture
  • Finnish: keskisormi — obscene gesture
  • French: doigt d'honneur — obscene gesture
  • German: Stinkefinger — obscene gesture
  • Greek: κωλοδάχτυλο (kolodáchtylo) — obscene gesture
  • Japanese: ファックサイン (fakku sain) — obscene gesture
  • Portuguese: dedo do meio — obscene gesture
  • Russian: фак (fak) — obscene gesture
  • Scottish Gaelic: fìgis — obscene gesture
  • Sicilian: crignu — obscene gesture
  • Spanish: peineta — obscene gesture
  • Spanish: corte de manga — obscene gesture
  • Swedish: peka finger — obscene gesture
  • Finnish: keskisormi — figuratively: insult