expressive

CEFRB2

/ɪkˈspɹɛsɪv/

adjective · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Showing thoughts or feelings clearly and strongly.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Able to represent a number of ideas or concepts.

Examples

  • Russian is a beautiful and expressive language with a rich literature.

  • The gift is expressive of my feelings.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
4
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /ɪkˈspɹesɪv/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Conveying the speaker's emotions and/or attitudes, in addition to the denotative or literal meaning.

  2. Effectively conveying thought or feeling.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. Any word or phrase that expresses (that the speaker, writer, or signer has) a certain attitude toward or information about the referent.

More examples

In context

  • The word is expressive of my feelings.

  • A programming language that is Turing complete is more expressive than one that is not.

  • a gesture expressive of the utmost contempt

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The blank dancer moved with such emotion and grace.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Middle French expressif.