finger-wag

English

finger-wag (third-person singular simple present finger-wags, present participle finger-wagging, simple past and past participle finger-wagged)

To move the index finger horizontally back and forth, as to say no or reject something.
To move the index finger repeatedly up and down, as to threaten or reprimand someone.
- 2018, Nicole Seymour, Bad Environmentalism, page 246:
  For these and other reasons, I disagree with reecent critiques of the film, such as Matt Novak's finger-wagging thinkpiece, "Idiocracy Is a Cruel Movie and You Should Be Ashamed for Liking It." (2014)

to move the index finger horizontally, as to say no or reject something

Afrikaans: please add this translation if you can
Armenian: please add this translation if you can
Bashkir: бармаҡ янау (barmaq yanaw)
Dutch: vingerschudden
Finnish: heristää etusormea
French: faire non du doigt
Galician: please add this translation if you can
German: mit dem Finger drohen
Greek: please add this translation if you can
Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
Korean: please add this translation if you can
Norwegian: please add this translation if you can
Portuguese: balançar o dedo
Russian: грози́ть па́льцем impf (grozítʹ pálʹcem), погрози́ть па́льцем pf (pogrozítʹ pálʹcem)
Serbo-Croatian: please add this translation if you can
Slovene: požugati s prstom
Spanish: menear del dedo
Swedish: please add this translation if you can
Welsh: please add this translation if you can

to move the index finger vertically, as to threaten or reprimand someone

finger-wag (plural finger-wags)

The movement of the index finger horizontally back and forth, as to say no or reject something.
The movement of the index finger repeatedly up and down, as to threaten or reprimand someone.