expressive Hear it!

expressive Definition

ex·pres·sive (ek spres′iv, ik-)

adjective

  1. of or characterized by expression
  2. that expresses or shows; indicative (of) a song expressive of joy
  3. full of meaning or feeling an expressive nod

Etymology: ME < ML expressivus

expressive Related Forms
ex·pres′·sively adverb ex·pres′·sive·ness noun
expressive Synonyms

expressive

modif.

eloquent, demonstrative, revealing, indicative, representative, descriptive, dramatic, stirring, sympathetic, articulate, touching, significant, meaningful, suggestive, pregnant, evocative, poignant, moving, pathetic, spirited, emphatic, strong, forceful, powerful, energetic, lively, tender, emotional, passionate, artistic, warm, masterly, colorful, vivid, striking, telling.

Antonyms expressionless, impassive, wooden.

expressive Usage Examples

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • make: However, whilst making the system far more expressive, this will also make it harder to interpret by a human.

Modifies a noun

  • gesture: The General spoke very fluently in French, and with many an expressive gesture.
  • nuance: At last, there's a digital synth that lets you concentrate on and control the expressive nuances of your music in real time.
  • vocabulary: Different dynamic levels are captured to extend the instrument's expressive vocabulary.
  • playing: Regular review of repertoire and the refining of the basics in the child's playing leads to more expressive playing.
  • art: Is graffiti the abstract expressive art of our time?
  • power: Workflow Modeling Patterns These patterns can be used to examine the expressive power of a workflow server.

Modifying Another Word

  • emotionally: However, she was not a romantic artist: her work is not intended to be emotionally expressive.
  • wonderfully: She has a wonderfully expressive face which was very funny in the sofa scene.
  • richly: Everything is seen from their perspective and all their feelings are conveyed in their richly expressive faces.
  • sufficiently: For the case study we choose a constraint domain C 0 that is sufficiently expressive to encode many policy idioms.
  • beautifully: RACHEL; Next up was Rachel who brought us stunning vocals coupled with two beautifully expressive songs.
  • deeply: His deeply expressive throaty voice; tender, vulnerable with underlying menace - soul plugged.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: Not only that, the child will be more aware of their own body movements and become more expressive.

Preposition: in

  • way: Twain's other great innovation was the language of the book itself, which is expressive in a completely original way.

Preposition: of

  • power: On a slight elevation stands the ideal woman, her whole attitude expressive of conscious power and dignity.
  • character: Beside, the flute is not an instrument which is expressive of moral character; it is too exciting.
  • value: An assumption is made that behavior is expressive of deeper values and beliefs.
  • emotion: Duncan's dancing was characterized by free, flowing movements expressive of inner emotion and inspired by natural phenomena such as waves and winds.
  • sorrow: The one is expressive of sorrow for our past conduct; the other is expressive of our renouncing it.