expressive
[ ik-spres-iv ]
/ ɪkˈsprɛs ɪv /
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.
Origin of expressive
synonym study for expressive
1, 2.
Expressive,
meaningful,
significant,
suggestive imply the conveying of a thought, indicating an attitude of mind, or the like, by words or otherwise.
Expressive suggests conveying, or being capable of conveying, a thought, intention, emotion, etc., in an effective or vivid manner:
an expressive gesture.
Meaningful and
significant imply an underlying and unexpressed thought whose existence is plainly shown although its precise nature is left to conjecture.
Meaningful implies a secret and intimate understanding between the persons involved:
Meaningful looks passed between them.
Significant suggests conveying important or hidden meaning:
On hearing this statement, he gave the officers a significant glance.
Suggestive implies an indirect or covert conveying of a meaning, sometimes mentally stimulating, sometimes verging on impropriety or indecency:
a suggestive story or remark. See also
eloquent.
OTHER WORDS FROM expressive
Words nearby expressive
Example sentences from the Web for expressiveness
British Dictionary definitions for expressiveness
expressive
/ (ɪkˈsprɛsɪv) /
adjective
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