expressive
gb/ɪkspɹˈɛsɪv/ us/ɪkspɹˈɛsɪv/
B2
English
~ 6400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
showing feelings clearly and strongly
Showing feelings in a clear way that other people can see or hear.
Usage pattern:
expressive [face/eyes/voice]; [someone] is expressive
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "expressive" with "impressive". "Expressive" means that feelings are shown clearly, while "impressive" means something is very good or makes you admire it. Some learners also try to say *"he is very expression"* instead of "he is very expressive" or "he shows a lot of expression."
Synonyms
expressive (Base form; for comparison, a close synonym is 'animated', which suggests liveliness as well as clear emotion.)
Antonyms
expressionless (Describes a face or voice that does not show any clear emotion.)
Collocations
expressive face
|expressive eyes
|expressive voice
|highly expressive
|deeply expressive
|expressive performance
Themes
emotions
|communication
|art
|body
Examples
- Her expressive eyes told me more than her words ever could.
- The actor gave an incredibly expressive performance, and the audience was silent at the end.
- He has a very expressive face, so you always know what he is thinking.
- The singer’s expressive voice made the simple song sound powerful and moving.
- Even without speaking, her expressive gestures made the story easy to follow.
Learner examples
- The baby has very expressive eyes.
- Her face is so expressive that I can see when she is sad.
- He spoke in an expressive voice when he read the poem.
- The dancer’s body was very expressive on stage.
- My teacher is expressive and uses her hands when she talks.
adjective
C1
property
2
powerfully communicating ideas or meaning
Using words, art, or movement in a strong, clear way that shows ideas or feelings well.
Usage pattern:
expressive [writing/art/style]; highly expressive [medium]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "expressive" when they mean "clear" or "correct" in language. "Expressive" suggests emotional or artistic power, not just correct grammar. For example, "His English is expressive" means he uses language in a rich and effective way, not only that he speaks correctly.
Synonyms
evocative (Suggests that something strongly brings ideas or feelings to mind, often in a subtle or artistic way.)
Antonyms
uninspired (Describes language or art that is dull and does not communicate much feeling or interest.)
Collocations
expressive language
|expressive writing
|expressive style
|expressive dance
|expressive power
|richly expressive
Themes
art
|communication
|language
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- Her novel is written in a highly expressive style that stays with you.
- The painting is simple but incredibly expressive, capturing the tension of the moment.
- He chose jazz because he finds it the most expressive form of music.
- The choreographer created an expressive dance piece about migration and loss.
- The film’s use of light and shadow is extremely expressive of the characters’ inner conflicts.
Learner examples
- She has a very expressive writing style.
- This song is short but very expressive.
- The artist uses color in an expressive way.
- He wants to learn a more expressive way to speak English.
- Modern dance can be very expressive and free.
adjective
formal
C1
property
3
clearly indicating a quality or feeling
Showing or indicating a quality or feeling, especially in the phrase "expressive of something".
Usage pattern:
[something] is expressive of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"expressive for"* or *"expressive to"* instead of the correct formal pattern "expressive of": "His choice is expressive of his values." Another issue is overusing this formal phrase in casual speech; in everyday conversation it is usually more natural to say "His choice shows his values."
Synonyms
indicative (Used especially in formal contexts to mean that something shows or suggests another thing.)
Antonyms
unrelated (Emphasizes that the thing does not show or indicate that quality or fact.)
Collocations
expressive of despair
|expressive of confidence
|gesture expressive of goodwill
|act expressive of gratitude
|tone expressive of doubt
|policy expressive of broader trends
Themes
emotions
|society
|academia
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her silence was expressive of deep anger.
- The warm welcome was expressive of the community’s support for the project.
- Their decision to invest heavily in research is expressive of a long-term vision.
- His casual tone was hardly expressive of the seriousness of the situation.
- The city’s empty streets were expressive of the fear people felt during the outbreak.
Learner examples
- His answer was expressive of his true feelings.
- The gift was expressive of her thanks.
- Her face was not expressive of surprise at all.
- This change in rules is expressive of a new policy.
- The low test scores are expressive of a bigger problem.
adjective
technical
C2
property
4
linguistic: showing speaker’s attitude
Used in linguistics for words or parts of language that mainly show how the speaker feels, not new facts.
Usage pattern:
expressive [meaning/element/particle] in [language]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the everyday meaning of "expressive" with the technical linguistic sense. In this sense, "expressive" is not about being generally emotional or artistic, but specifically about parts of language whose main job is to show attitude, like swear words, interjections, or certain particles.
Synonyms
emotive (Technical term often used in linguistics to describe language that expresses emotion or attitude.)
Antonyms
descriptive (Refers to language that primarily adds factual or propositional content rather than showing attitude.)
Collocations
expressive meaning
|expressive content
|expressive elements
|expressive particles
|expressive morphology
|expressive markers
Themes
linguistics
|language
|education
|communication
Examples
- In this construction, the word "damn" functions as an expressive, not a descriptive, adjective.
- Expressive elements in the sentence convey the speaker’s irritation without changing its truth conditions.
- Some languages have special particles that are purely expressive and cannot be translated literally.
- The researcher focused on how expressive morphology marks politeness and social distance.
- Swear words often carry a strong expressive meaning that is difficult to capture in formal paraphrase.
Learner examples
- In linguistics, some words are called expressive elements.
- The word "wow" has expressive meaning, not factual meaning.
- Expressive markers help show the speaker’s feelings.
- An expressive particle can show respect or anger.
- He wrote an article about expressive meaning in texts.
Grammar
Dictionary form
expressive
IPA
GB/ɪkspɹˈɛsɪv/
US/ɪkspɹˈɛsɪv/
Syllables & stress
ex - press - ive (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (press)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: expressive
Word family
Core family
Related words
expressiveness
noun
expressly
adverb C1
Negative and opposite forms
inexpressive
adjective
expressionless
adjective
Advanced or less common
expressible
adjective
expressivity
noun
Expressions
expressive arts
1/ɪkspɹˈɛsɪv ˈɑɹts/
fixed phrase
technical
arts used for emotional expression
Art activities like dance, drama, music, and drawing that people use to show their feelings or explore their inner life, often in education or therapy.
Examples
- She works as a therapist and uses expressive arts with children who have trouble talking about their feelings.
- The school offers an expressive arts program that includes music, drama, and visual arts.
- Expressive arts can help patients deal with stress and trauma in a safe way.
expressive language
1/ɪkspɹˈɛsɪv lˈæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
technical
ability to use language to express
The skill of using words to say or write what you think and feel, often discussed in education and speech therapy.
Examples
- The child has strong receptive skills but delayed expressive language.
- Therapy focused on improving his expressive language so he could ask for what he needs.
- Teachers are trained to support both receptive and expressive language in young learners.
expressive of [something]
1/ɪkspɹˈɛsɪv əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
showing a particular quality or feeling
Shows or indicates a certain quality, feeling, or fact about something.
Examples
- His calm reply was expressive of real confidence.
- The empty streets were expressive of the public’s fear.
- Their generous donation is expressive of their commitment to education.
expressive writing
1/ɪkspɹˈɛsɪv ɹˈaɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
personal writing to express feelings
Writing where a person freely writes about their thoughts and feelings, often to understand themselves better or to reduce stress.
Examples
- The counselor suggested expressive writing as a way to process his grief.
- In this course we will practice expressive writing rather than formal essays.
- Expressive writing can sometimes improve both mental and physical health.