nodding 1 of 2

adjective

ˈnä-diŋ How to pronounce nodding (audio)
Definition of noddingnext
as in bowing
bending downward or forward some students, with nodding heads, were helplessly falling asleep during the boring lecture

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nodding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of nod
as in bobbing
to make short up-and-down movements though she couldn't see the rain, she knew it had started because she could see the flowers nod as raindrops hit them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nodding
Adjective
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head. — Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021
Verb
Interiors are a fresh take on classic British West Indies elegance, nodding to the overall aesthetic of Little Palm’s past but re-interpreting it as tropical chic of the present. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026 The set included an Air Jordan 11 and an Air Jordan 6, nodding to Jordan’s 1991 and 1996 championship wins. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 18 Aug. 2026 The name Adelaide has royal roots as well, nodding to Queen Adelaide, the wife of King William IV. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 Everybody was locked in, and the guys were nodding their heads and stuff. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026 The vibe is very Woodstock-era, got-to-get-back-to-the-garden innocence, a sentiment that has the filmmaker, now in his mid-seventies, nodding in agreement. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026 Lavie appeared in a jailhouse-yellow shirt and blue pants and looked distressed throughout the hearing, nodding and gesturing to friends at times. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 That means the senior person nodding through your AI strategy meeting is often riddled with the same anxieties as the people who look visibly concerned. — Nohar Zmora, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Skinny sunglasses disappeared in the early ’70s, as Foster Grants, cowboy boots, and double denim came rushing in (on a horse, obviously) and men started nodding their heads in unison to the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. — Dylan Jones, Robb Report, 3 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nodding
  1. weeping
  2. bobbing
  3. shaking
  4. pumping
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    — David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping
Verb
  • Amidst all those endlessly traversing ships and bobbing cranes, commerce flourished.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Despite Sarah’s flapping her cardigan in the air like a hungover color-guard girl at a homecoming parade, the hapless Irish naval men sent to save her remained beyond the bobbing waves.
    — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of bobbing
Verb
  • White slammed Garry for shaking hands and embracing Makhachev before the final round.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka, a regency in East Nusa Tenggara, said a number of buildings were damaged by the strong shaking and panicked people ran to higher ground.
    — Yacob Herin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of shaking
Verb
  • In that role, Hanke developed a framework showing that the federation would generate the greatest wealth for its people over time by pumping as much oil as possible.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Fortunately, your aligners can be worn for most of your heart-pumping workouts.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of pumping

Browse Nearby Words

noddies
nodding
nodding off
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Cite this Entry

“Nodding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nodding. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nodding

Nglish: Translation of nodding for Spanish Speakers

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