expressionistic

American  

[ik-spre-shuhn-ist-ik] / ɪk sprɛ ʃənˈɪst ɪk /

adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of Expressionism.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• expressionistically
  adverb

Explanation

Something that's expressionistic uses emotions rather than realism to express an artistic idea. An expressionistic painting gives you the general sense of a tree, rather than a photographic duplication of a tree. Expressionistic art, which flourished at the start of the 20th century, used distortion and exaggeration to get feelings and ideas across. Many painters we admire today, including Matisse, Monet, and Van Gogh, all used expressionistic techniques in their work. Other forms of art, including poetry, prose, and dance, can also be done in an expressionistic style. The root word is expression, used in the art world to mean "way of expressing."

Example Sentences

Expressionistic movement is certainly not needed as a pace-changing mechanism, since O’Connor’s script provides so much variety.

From Washington Post • Jun. 14, 2022

Expressionistic flowers exist amid fields of color inspired by vintage textiles or contemporary graphic design.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2019

In some groupings the many performers presented their faces emphatically one way or another — an Expressionistic effect — as if trying to read a sign in the sky or asking the audience a question.

From New York Times • Nov. 22, 2015

The score surges with stretches of hyper-charged, densely chromatic, at times atonal Expressionistic music.

From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2010

Within gigantic canvases, Harithas' young artists explore a dozen variants of the new, airy, softly Expressionistic forms.

From Time Magazine Archive