flip the bird
What does “flip the bird” mean in English?
This phrase refers to making the middle-finger gesture, which is a clear insult. It's a non-verbal way to express disdain or anger towards someone.
It's typically used in North America and serves as a direct insult, similar to telling someone to fuck off. The tone is usually confrontational, and it can be used in both serious and playful contexts.
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Related English words
arsehole
3/5 · VulgarIt's an insult for someone who's being particularly obnoxious or irritating. Literally, it translates to 'anus.'
arsewipe
3/5 · VulgarIt's a contemptuous insult for someone unpleasant or irritating. Think of it as calling someone a real piece of shit.
asshole
3/5 · VulgarA vulgar insult for someone who is selfish or obnoxious. Literally translates to 'anus.'
asswipe
3/5 · VulgarIt's a coarse insult for someone you find contemptible or despicable. The term suggests that the person is as useless as toilet paper.
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via Viddexa SafeText (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.