expressive
full of expression; meaningful: an expressive shrug.
serving to express; indicative of power to express: a look expressive of gratitude.
of, relating to, or concerned with expression: Dance is a highly expressive art.
Sociology. (of a crowd or group) engaging in nonpurposeful activity of an expressive and often rhythmic nature, as weeping, dancing, or shouting.: Compare active (def. 15), orgiastic (def. 3).
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.
Origin of expressive
1synonym study For expressive
Other words from expressive
- ex·pres·sive·ly, adverb
- ex·pres·sive·ness, noun
- an·ti·ex·pres·sive, adjective
- an·ti·ex·pres·sive·ly, adverb
- an·ti·ex·pres·sive·ness, noun
- non·ex·pres·sive, adjective
- non·ex·pres·sive·ly, adverb
- non·ex·pres·sive·ness, noun
- o·ver·ex·pres·sive, adjective
- o·ver·ex·pres·sive·ly, adverb
- o·ver·ex·pres·sive·ness, noun
- pre·ex·pres·sive, adjective
- su·per·ex·pres·sive, adjective
- su·per·ex·pres·sive·ly, adverb
- su·per·ex·pres·sive·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use expressive in a sentence
Like his mother, he used his hands expressively when speaking.
Did the U.S. Make a Mistake In Seizing Anas al-Liby? | Jamie Dettmer | October 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTAs Irwin expressively stated: “The devil may have worn Prada, but not this Pope.”
Shocker: Pope Benedict's Red Shoes Weren't Prada | Misty White Sidell | March 1, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTJustin grunted, then pointed expressively to the dark hole surrounded by fresh grass.
Menotah | Ernest G. HenhamHer features were regular, but expressively alive compared to the artificial placidity of the court beauties.
The Envoy, Her | Horace Brown FyfeCould the Divine love and satisfaction be more expressively brought out?
Separation and Service | James Hudson Taylor
To take a present instance: the verb transpire formerly conveyed very expressively its correct meaning, viz.
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive | John Stuart MillOne finds in Van Dyck no such expressively nervous physiognomy.
The History of Modern Painting, Volume 1 (of 4) | Richard Muther
British Dictionary definitions for expressive
/ (ɪkˈsprɛsɪv) /
of, involving, or full of expression
(postpositive foll by of) indicative or suggestive (of): a look expressive of love
having a particular meaning, feeling, or force; significant
Derived forms of expressive
- expressively, adverb
- expressiveness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse