Expressive
/ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/
Definitions
2 meaningsEffectively conveying thoughts or feelings.
/ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/
Showing or conveying emotion or feeling.
The dancer's expressive movements captivated the audience.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're telling a story, and you use your hands, your voice, and your face to really show how you feel. An expressive person or art piece is like that: they show their feelings really well!
👶 For kids: When you can show how you feel with your face, your voice, or your actions, you're being expressive!
More Examples
His expressive eyes revealed the depth of his sadness.
The painting was expressive of the artist's grief.
How It's Used
"The artist used expressive brushstrokes to convey a sense of movement."
"Her expressive gestures revealed her inner excitement."
"The pianist played the piece with an expressive touch, full of feeling."
Serving to indicate meaning.
/ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/
Clearly conveying a particular meaning or mood.
The author's expressive prose brought the characters to life.
💡 Simply: When something helps you understand a message clearly, like clear words in a book or a good-looking chart, it’s expressive!
👶 For kids: If something helps you understand something else clearly, it is expressive!
More Examples
The photograph's expressive composition highlighted the subject's strength.
The expressive symbols helped us easily understand the map.
How It's Used
"Her expressive language made the argument much more persuasive."
"The architect used expressive forms to make the building stand out."
From Late Latin *expressivus*, from *exprimere* 'to press out, represent'.
The word expressive began to be widely used in the 19th century.
Memory tip
Think of an artist's face - their emotions are expressed.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: exprimere