Body Language of Fingers: Gestures A – Z

On this page we’ll be looking at the meaning of different body language finger gestures. If that’s not quite what you’re looking for, you may find one of these alternative helpful.

The body language of hands and hand gestures.

Reading flirting signals – includes both male and female

How to read body language correctly

Still not what you’re looking for? Consult the complete body language guide.

Body Language of Fingers

From beckoning a person to dismissing them to chastising them, the body language of fingers communicates a great deal. Here’s everything you need to know about the body language of fingers.

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A Guide to the Body Language of Fingers: Gestures

These are the most common finger gestures your will spot around the world. What’s great about them is that the hand is one of the most visible areas of the body and also one of the most expressive. It’s relatively easy to spot the following gestures, whether you’re our and about, in a nightclub or even on a conference call.

Finger Pointing: The most obvious gesture in the body language of fingers. Pointing fingers indicate direction. In some countries, the finger will point upwards to indicate far away and downwards to indicate nearby. It is often considered politer to indicate with the thumb rather than the forefinger. There is an aggression associated with finger pointing that is almost like a jab. A person who points a lot can be considered to be angry.

Prod: When the index finger prods forwards aggressively it is a sign of attack. It may also be seen when a boss is angry with a subordinate. This sign seems less threatening when done with several fingers instead of one. You may notice a teacher doing it when particularly angry, but you don’t need a teacher’s degree to realise how this presents the wrong image.

Club: An aggressive gesture in the body language of fingers, the up down beat of the forefinger is a wag of contempt. It’s the sort of gesture a parent may use when angry or disappointed with their child.  When the finger clubs a table or other object it comes across as less harsh.

Tapping on Hand: when a finger taps on the palm of the opposite hand it acts like a collection of ideas. The person is putting ideas into their hand that may then be offered to another individual.

Pinch: pinching the thumb and forefinger together is a sign that a subject is ddeliate and should be handled precisely. It can also be used to express how an idea must be understood in meticulous detail.

Tapping: Tapping the fingers on a surface indicates impatience. If the tapping is quite forceful it also indicates frustration. It should be one of the first lesson in negotiating training to spot different kinds of tapping, it’s a sure sign you need to deliver yourself in a different manner or bring new information to the table.

Sucking: Sucking the fingers, a pen or other object is a sign of insecurity.

Thumbs up: One of the most popular gestures in the body language of fingers. Thumbs point upwards, whether in an intentional “thumbs up” gesture or not, indicate confidence and coolness.

Cleaning fingernails: A sign of boredom. We do it because there is nothing else to do. Make sure you never clean your finger nails in any kind of corporate event; it will provide a terrible image.

Keep an eye out for this body language of fingers to read what a person is thinking and feeling.