noun phrase

three fingers up

THREE FING-gurz up

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Three fingers up (noun phrase) means a hand gesture in which three fingers are raised, used online and in photographs with a range of meanings depending on context, most commonly as a salute of solidarity and resistance, as a sign for the number three, or as a gang or crew signal. Example: “Protesters walked out of the courtroom with three fingers up.”

noun phrase

A hand gesture in which three fingers are raised, used online and in photographs with a range of meanings depending on context, most commonly as a salute of solidarity and resistance, as a sign for the number three, or as a gang or crew signal.

"Protesters walked out of the courtroom with three fingers up."

"Everyone in the photo had three fingers up and nobody could agree what it meant."

political Specifically, the pro-democracy three-finger salute adopted by protesters in Thailand and Myanmar, borrowed from the Hunger Games films, signifying defiance of authoritarian rule.

"Crowds in Bangkok raised three fingers up as the motorcade passed."

informal, computing In computing, the three-finger salute: pressing Ctrl, Alt and Delete together to interrupt or restart a PC.

"It froze again, so I gave it the three-finger salute."

How to use three fingers up

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishHolding up three fingers — a sign that can mean solidarity, a group, or just the number three.

When to use it

Informal. Because the meaning shifts so much by setting, spell out what you mean in writing rather than relying on the phrase alone.

Memory tip

In British English, "two fingers up" with the palm inward is an obscene insult; "three fingers up" carries no such meaning.

Easily confused with

two fingers up peace sign Scout sign

Common pairings

three fingers up three-finger salute throw three fingers up

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “three fingers up” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Protesters walked out of the courtroom with _____.

Synonyms

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three-finger salute three up

Frequently asked questions

What does three fingers up mean in a photo?

There is no single answer, which is why it is so often misread. It can be a solidarity salute, a signal of a group or set number, a Scout sign, or simply the number three. Judge it by who is doing it and where — the same gesture means different things in a protest crowd, a Scout troop and a rap video.

Where does the three-finger salute in protests come from?

It was taken from the Hunger Games films, where it is a silent sign of respect and dissent, and adopted by pro-democracy demonstrators in Thailand from 2014 onward and later in Myanmar after the 2021 coup. Authorities in both countries treated raising it in public as an act of defiance.

Is three fingers up a gang sign?

It can be, in some contexts, since many crews and sets use numeric hand signs. But the gesture is used far more often for entirely unrelated reasons, so treating every raised three fingers as a gang signal is unreliable.

What is the meaning of three fingers up?

"three fingers up" (noun phrase) means a hand gesture in which three fingers are raised, used online and in photographs with a range of meanings depending on context, most commonly as a salute of solidarity and resistance, as a sign for the number three, or as a gang or crew signal.