closed posture
Arms crossed defensively
Closed posture is body language that signals defensiveness, discomfort, or unwillingness to engage.
Arms crossed over the chest, legs tightly crossed, shoulders hunched, or turning away from someone all constitute closed posture.
The term appears in discussions of nonverbal communication and body language reading: His closed posture suggested he wasn't receptive to the idea.
Contrast with open posture.
- defensiveProtective or easily threatened
- guardedWary and restrained
- walls upErects emotional defenses
- crossed armsLimbs interlocked at chest
- arms crossedProtective self-embrace gesture
hunched · hunched shoulders · curled inward · drawn in · withdrawn · turned away · tense · protective · rigid · shoulders · shrinking · avoidant · holding back · uncomfortable · nervous · folded · tight · wary
closed postureopen posture
Accessible body language
power pose · wide stance · relaxed posture · relaxed stance · commanding presence
close, closed, closes, closing, closer, closest, closeness, closure, closable