When you stand with your hands on your hips and your elbows pointed outward, you're standing akimbo. Picture a superhero striking a confident pose, or someone who just finished a race and needs to catch their breath: hands pressed against their sides, elbows jutting out like triangular wings.

The word almost always describes arms and elbows in this specific position. A teacher might stand akimbo while waiting for a noisy classroom to settle down. A soccer coach might watch from the sidelines with arms akimbo, studying the game intensely. The position often signals confidence, impatience, or someone ready to take charge of a situation.

You might occasionally see the word used more loosely to mean “bent at an angle,” like describing how someone sprawled akimbo across a couch with limbs pointing in every direction. But the classic meaning refers to that distinctive hands-on-hips, elbows-out stance that makes someone look ready for action.