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expressive
[ ik-spres-iv ]
adjective
- 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.
expressive
/ ɪˈɛɪ /
adjective
- of, involving, or full of expression
- postpositivefoll byof indicative or suggestive (of)
a look expressive of love
- having a particular meaning, feeling, or force; significant
Derived Forms
- ˈԱ, noun
- ˈ, adverb
Other Word Forms
- ·s· adverb
- ·s·Ա noun
- t··s adjective
- anti··s· adverb
- anti··s·Ա noun
- ԴDze·s adjective
- non·s· adverb
- non·s·Ա noun
- v··s adjective
- over··s· adverb
- over··s·Ա noun
- e·s adjective
- p··s adjective
- super··s· adverb
- super··s·Ա noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of expressive1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Clothes, to me, were expressive: They helped me feel more like myself.
When you are as expressive on the touchline as Pep Guardiola, visual evidence can be enough to gauge the importance of an occasion.
The frontman proved expressive and animated despite serious hearing issues that sidelined him for a few scary years, and a voice that, understandably, doesn’t always have the sustain and power of earlier days.
“My job is a lot about making sure talent feels safe, comfortable, supported, and for them to really be able to show up in their full selves and be expressive.”
Some of my clients are neurodivergent, so they’re not the most verbally expressive.
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Related Words
When To Use
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 .
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