expressive
Americanadjective
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full of expression; meaningful.
an expressive shrug.
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serving to express; indicative of power to express.
a look expressive of gratitude.
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of, relating to, or concerned with expression.
Dance is a highly expressive art.
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Sociology. (of a crowd or group) engaging in nonpurposeful activity of an expressive and often rhythmic nature, as weeping, dancing, or shouting.
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Linguistics. of or relating to forms in which sounds denote a semantic field directly and nonarbitrarily, through sound symbolism based, to some degree, on synesthesia, as observable in onomatopoeia, rhyming and gradational compounds, and emotionally charged words such as hypocoristics and pejoratives.
adjective
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of, involving, or full of expression
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indicative or suggestive (of)
a look expressive of love
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having a particular meaning, feeling, or force; significant
Usage
What are other ways to say expressive?
Expressive gestures are full of meaning; expressive looks effectively convey an attitude or feeling. How is expressive different from synonyms meaningful, significant, and suggestive? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Synonym Usage
See eloquent ( def. ).
Other Word Forms
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antiexpressivenessnoun
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expressivenessnoun
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nonexpressivenessnoun
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overexpressivenessnoun
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superexpressivenessnoun
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antiexpressiveadjective
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nonexpressiveadjective
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overexpressiveadjective
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preexpressiveadjective
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superexpressiveadjective
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antiexpressivelyadverb
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expressivelyadverb
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nonexpressivelyadverb
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overexpressivelyadverb
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superexpressivelyadverb
Etymology
Origin of expressive
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French; see express, -ive
Explanation
Big smiles, loud crying, jumping for joy, and making crazy art are all expressive, which is to effectively show feelings. Anything that communicates thoughts or feelings is expressive. Expressive comes from the French word expres for "clear, plain.” It’s easy to read people who are expressive, their emotions are clear. Smiling, laughing, shouting, crying, and pouting are all expressive. So is art, whether it's music, sculpture, or writing. This is a word that applies to things that communicate. If you're not revealing how you feel, you're not being expressive.
Vocabulary lists containing expressive
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Text Structure
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ramsey says there should be more space to be "expressive in grief and to let it be loud or let it be very quiet and silent and private".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The music on the new record is vivid in its storytelling and unapologetically emotional, lyrical and expressive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Block is a tall, dark-skinned Black man with locs and striking, expressive eyes.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
His best work tunneled into life’s darkest spaces to excavate ideas about our fears and obsessions, often reflected through dazzling practical effects that matched the naturalism of his greatest feature: a singularly expressive, malleable face.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
I liked watching his hands move— he isn’t expressive, but he moves things around a lot.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
