chest thump
Primate dominance display
A chest thump is the act of striking one's own chest with a fist, typically as a display of pride, solidarity, or dominance.
The gesture evokes gorilla behavior and often accompanies boasting or celebration: He gave a chest thump after scoring the winning goal.
As a verb, to chest-thump is to engage in aggressive self-promotion or posturing: Politicians chest-thumping about national security.
- gorillaLargest great ape
- King KongGigantic fictional ape
- beatRhythmic pulse or strike
- poundWeight, strike, or kennel
- pounding heartRapid forceful cardiac rhythm
pride · dominance · fist · heartbeat · display · show of force · aggression · Tarzan · alpha · alpha male · power · boom · silverback · challenge · rhythm · tribal · tribal dance · warrior
- gesturesgesture, hand gestures, applause, hand raise, tap on shoulder
- body percussionclapping, stomping, snapping, hand clap, finger snap
- celebrationsgraduation, festival, party, wedding, fireworks
- salutessalute, military salute, hand salute, scout salute, flag salute
chest thumpbow
Respectful forward inclination
kowtow · prostration · curtsy · head bow · genuflection
chest thumpcovering face
Obscuring facial features
shrinking away · cowering · cringing · fetal position · slumped shoulders
chest thumpbowing and scraping
Exaggerated subservient gestures
groveling · self-deprecation · deference · humility · submission
chest, thump, chests, thumps, thumped, thumping, thumper, chested