hand-wave
Brush off lightly
Hand-wave describes a dismissive gesture—literal or figurative—that brushes past difficulty without addressing it.
In discussion, to hand-wave is to gloss over a problem with vague reasoning or false confidence: He hand-waved away the budget concerns.
The term often implies intellectual laziness or evasion, suggesting someone wants credit for solving something they've merely gestured at.
Abrupt, dismissive rejection
- dismissSend away or reject
- trivializeMake light of
- downplayDiminish perceived importance
- minimizeReduce to smallest extent
disregard · overlook · ignore · belittle · undervalue · deflect · sidestep · evade
Signal to approach
- signalMessage-conveying cue
- motionChange in position
- flourishTo grow vigorously
- gesticulateCommunicate through body movements
salute · acknowledge · greet · farewell · indicate · semaphore · flag · summon
Pass over lightly
- fudgeCreamy cooked confection
- shortcutQuicker alternative path
- vaguenessAbsence of precision
- approximationNear but inexact value
generalization · broad-brush · placeholder · abstraction · elision · imprecision · assumption
brush-off
Abrupt, dismissive rejection
- dismissSend away or reject
- trivializeMake light of
- downplayDiminish perceived importance
minimize · disregard · overlook · ignore · belittle · undervalue · deflect · sidestep · evade · blow-off
beckon
Signal to approach
gesticulate · salute · acknowledge · greet · farewell · indicate · semaphore · flag · summon · dismiss
skim
Pass over lightly
approximation · generalization · broad-brush · placeholder · abstraction · elision · imprecision · assumption
hand-wavedig into
Explore or consume vigorously
unpack · drill down · take seriously · get into the weeds · show your work
hand-wavedemonstrate
Show or prove something
prove · substantiate · justify · explicate · document
hand, wave, hands, waves, handed, handing, waved, waving, handy