thumb
gb/θˈʌm/ us/θˈʌm/
A1
English
~ 7800
hüvelykujj, átlapoz, lapozgat, stoppol, hüvelykujjal nyomogat, kesztyű hüvelykujja
NOUN
A1
1
hüvelykujj
A2
Usage pattern:
someone's thumb
He cut his thumb while chopping vegetables.
Zöldségaprítás közben megvágta a hüvelykujját.
The baby fell asleep sucking her thumb.
A baba a hüvelykujját szopva aludt el.
She pressed her thumb on the screen to unlock the phone.
His right thumb is much stronger after months of physical therapy.
I gave a quick thumbs-up with my thumb to show I agreed.
Learner examples
I hurt my thumb playing basketball.
Kosárlabdázás közben megsérült a hüvelykujjam.
The baby puts his thumb in his mouth.
A baba a szájába teszi a hüvelykujját.
She uses her thumb to press the button.
My left thumb is bigger than my right thumb.
He wears a ring on his thumb.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'thumb' is not a kind of finger and say things like 'four fingers and a thumb.' In everyday English, people often say 'five fingers,' but it is also correct to say 'four fingers and a thumb' when you want to be precise.
Meaning
short, thick first finger
Collocations
suck your thumb
|thumb injury
|broken thumb
|thumb joint
|opposable thumb
|thumb and index finger
Synonyms
finger (A more general word; the thumb is a special type of finger and is often distinguished from the other fingers.)
Themes
body
|health
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The short, thick finger on the side of your hand that helps you hold things.
The short, thick first finger on the side of the hand, set lower than the other fingers and used for gripping and holding things.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to thumb through [a book/magazine]
She thumbed through the magazine while waiting for her appointment.
Amíg a sorára várt, lapozgatta a magazint.
He quickly thumbed through the report to find the sales figures.
Gyorsan átlapozta a jelentést, hogy megtalálja az eladási adatokat.
I spent a few minutes thumbing through the book before deciding to buy it.
The editor thumbed through the manuscript, stopping at the highlighted parts.
He thumbed through the file, looking for her name.
Learner examples
She thumbed through the book in the store.
Az üzletben belelapozott a könyvbe.
He thumbed through the pages to find the photo.
Átlapozta az oldalakat, hogy megtalálja a fotót.
I like to thumb through magazines in the café.
The teacher thumbed through my notebook.
He thumbed through the file on his desk.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'thumb the book'* when they mean *'thumb through the book.'* The verb is usually followed by 'through' when talking about turning many pages quickly.
Meaning
flip through pages quickly
Collocations
thumb through a magazine
|thumb through a book
|thumb through the pages
|thumbed through the file
Synonyms
leaf through (Very close in meaning, but slightly more neutral and less physical-sounding than 'thumb through.')
Antonyms
study (To read something very carefully and in detail, the opposite of quickly thumbing through it.)
Themes
reading
|daily life
|education
|communication
|daily_life
Definition
To move the pages of a book or magazine fast with your thumb, without reading every page.
To quickly turn the pages of a book, magazine, or similar item using your thumb, usually without reading carefully.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
3
stoppol
B1
Usage pattern:
to thumb a ride to [a place]
They spent the summer thumbing rides across Europe.
A nyarat azzal töltötték, hogy stoppal bejárták Európát.
He ran out of money and had to thumb a ride back to the city.
Elfogyott a pénze, ezért stoppal kellett visszamennie a városba.
We thumbed our way to the festival in two days.
She used to thumb rides to school when she missed the bus.
After his car broke down, he thumbed a ride to the nearest town.
Learner examples
They thumbed a ride to the next town.
Stoppal mentek a következő városig.
He had no money, so he thumbed a ride home.
Nem volt pénze, ezért stoppal ment haza.
We decided to thumb rides on our trip.
She sometimes thumbs a ride to work.
He stood by the road and thumbed for a car.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with simply 'raising your thumb' for approval. 'Thumb a ride' is specifically about hitchhiking, not about saying yes or showing you like something.
Meaning
get a ride by hitchhiking
Collocations
thumb a ride
|thumb lifts
|thumb our way home
Synonyms
hitchhike (The standard, more common verb for traveling by asking drivers for free rides.)
Antonyms
drive (To travel by controlling your own vehicle instead of asking others for a ride.)
Themes
travel
|daily life
|transportation
Definition
To stand next to a road and hold out your thumb to ask a driver to take you in their car for free.
To try to get a free ride in a passing vehicle by standing at the side of a road and signalling with your thumb.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to thumb [a device/button/message]
He thumbed the remote until he found the sports channel.
Hüvelykujjával addig nyomogatta a távirányítót, amíg meg nem találta a sportcsatornát.
She thumbed a quick reply on her phone under the table.
Az asztal alatt a hüvelykujjával gyorsan bepötyögött egy választ a telefonján.
The guard thumbed the intercom button and asked who was there.
He absentmindedly thumbed the edge of his ticket while he waited.
She thumbed the volume down as the baby fell asleep.
Learner examples
He thumbed the button on the wall.
Hüvelykujjával nyomogatta a falon lévő gombot.
She thumbed a text message to her friend.
Hüvelykujjával bepötyögött egy üzenetet egy barátjának.
He sat on the sofa and thumbed the remote.
She thumbed the screen to turn it on.
He thumbed the key in the lock.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use 'thumb' for any kind of touching. In this sense, it is most natural when you clearly use your thumb, often with devices like phones, remotes, or buttons, not for general touching or holding.
Meaning
press or handle with thumb
Collocations
thumb the remote
|thumb a message
|thumb the screen
|thumb the volume button
Synonyms
press (A more general verb; does not specifically suggest using the thumb the way 'thumb' does.)
Antonyms
release (To stop pressing or let go of something after thumbing or pressing it.)
Themes
technology
|daily life
|body
|daily_life
Definition
To press or move something with your thumb.
To press, move, or handle something using your thumb, often in a repeated or casual way.
NOUN
B1
5
Usage pattern:
the thumb of [a glove/mitten]
There was a hole in the thumb of his glove.
Lyuk volt a kesztyűje hüvelykujján.
The mitten's thumb is too short for my hand.
Az egyujjas kesztyű hüvelykujja túl rövid a kezemhez.
She caught the thumb of her glove on a nail and tore it.
These work gloves have a reinforced thumb for extra protection.
The pattern includes separate pieces for the fingers and the thumb.
Learner examples
There is a hole in the thumb of my glove.
Lyuk van a kesztyűm hüvelykujján.
This mitten has a very big thumb.
Ennek az egyujjas kesztyűnek nagyon nagy a hüvelykujja.
The thumb of the glove is too tight.
She sewed the thumb of his mitten.
He put his thumb into the thumb of the glove.
Meaning
thumb section of a glove
Collocations
thumb of the glove
|mitten thumb
|sewn-in thumb
|hole in the thumb
Synonyms
thumb-piece (A more technical or less common term; mainly used in clothing and design contexts.)
Themes
clothing
|daily life
|body
|daily_life
Definition
The part of a glove or mitten made for your thumb.
The part of a glove, mitten, or similar covering that is shaped to fit and cover the thumb.
Grammar
Dictionary form
thumb
IPA
GB/θˈʌm/
US/θˈʌm/
Syllables & stress
thumb (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (thumb)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: thumb
- Plural: thumbs
Verb
- Base: thumb
- 3rd Person Singular: thumbs
- Present Participle: thumbing
- Past: thumbed
Word family
Forms
thumbs
noun
thumbing
verb
thumbed
verb
Core family
thumbnail
noun B1
Related words
thumbprint
noun
thumbtack
noun
Expressions
a green thumb
1/ə ɡɹˈin θˈʌm/
idiom
informal
talent for gardening
A natural skill for growing healthy plants.
Examples
- My grandmother has a real green thumb; everything she plants grows.
- If you don't have a green thumb, start with easy houseplants.
be all thumbs
1/bˈi ˈɔl θˈʌmz/
idiom
informal
be very clumsy
To be very bad at using your hands, so you drop things or do small tasks badly.
Examples
- I'm all thumbs today—I keep dropping everything.
- He was all thumbs when he tried to fix the watch.
thumb a ride
1/θˈʌm ə ɹˈaɪd/
fixed phrase
informal
get a ride by hitchhiking
To stand by a road and hold out your thumb to ask for a free ride in a passing car.
Examples
- They decided to thumb a ride to the beach.
- He thumbed a ride after missing the last bus home.
thumb through
1/θˈʌm θɹˈu/
phrasal verb
turn pages quickly
To move through the pages of a book or magazine quickly with your thumb, not reading every page.
Examples
- She thumbed through the catalogue, looking for ideas.
- He thumbed through his notes before the exam.
thumb your nose at
1/θˈʌm jˈʊɹ nˈoʊz ˈæt/
idiom
informal
openly show disrespect
To show that you do not respect someone or something, often in a very clear or rude way.
Examples
- The company thumbed its nose at regulations by ignoring the safety rules.
- He thumbed his nose at tradition and did the wedding his own way.
thumbs down
1/θˈʌmz dˈaʊn/
fixed phrase
sign of disapproval
A sign or gesture that means you do not like something or do not agree with it, made by pointing your thumb down.
Examples
- Critics gave the new movie a thumbs down.
- The boss gave my idea a firm thumbs down.
thumbs up
1/θˈʌmz ˈʌp/
fixed phrase
sign of approval
A sign or gesture that means you like something or agree with it, made by raising your thumb.
Examples
- The manager gave the project a thumbs up.
- He sent me a thumbs-up emoji to show he agreed.
twiddle your thumbs
1/twˈɪdəl jˈʊɹ θˈʌmz/
idiom
informal
wait doing nothing
To wait and do nothing useful, often feeling bored.
Examples
- We were left twiddling our thumbs in the waiting room for an hour.
- The staff just twiddled their thumbs while the computers were down.
under someone's thumb
1/ˈʌndɚ sˈʌmwˌʌnz θˈʌm/
idiom
informal
controlled by someone
Completely controlled by someone else so that you cannot act freely.
Examples
- He is totally under his boss's thumb.
- For years she was under her partner's thumb and could not make her own decisions.
rule of thumb
1/ɹˈul əv θˈʌm/
idiom
general practical guideline
A simple general rule that people use in normal life, not a strict or exact rule.
Examples
- As a rule of thumb, you should save at least ten percent of your income.
- A good rule of thumb is to add one extra minute of cooking time for every hundred watts less power.
rule of thumb
2/ɹˈul əv θˈʌm/
idiom
Practical general guideline
A simple way to judge or decide something based on experience, not exact facts.
Examples
- As a rule of thumb, add two minutes for each extra kilometer.
- A good rule of thumb is to save 10% of your income.
stick out like a sore thumb
3/stˈɪk ˈaʊt lˈaɪk ə sˈɔɹ θˈʌm/
idiom
informal
Be very noticeable in a bad way
To be very easy to see, in a way that looks strange or wrong.
Examples
- That bright shirt sticks out like a sore thumb at the funeral.
- His style sticks out like a sore thumb in this office.
stick out like a sore thumb
4/stˈɪk ˈaʊt lˈaɪk ə sˈɔɹ θˈʌm/
idiom
informal
be very noticeable
To be very easy to see because you are very different from the things or people around you.
Examples
- In that small village, her bright pink sports car stuck out like a sore thumb.
- His casual clothes stuck out like a sore thumb at the formal dinner.