ENGLISH
REFERENCE

expressive

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ɪksˈpɹɛsɪv// UK //ɛkspɹˈɛsɪv// ex·pres·sive

adj. showing your thoughts or feelings clearly through your face, voice, or actions. It can also describe art or language that communicates ideas in a powerful way.

adj. effectively conveying thought or feeling, especially through facial gestures or artistic medium. In technical contexts, it refers to the capacity of a language or system to represent complex ideas concisely.


SIMPLE

She has a very expressive face that shows exactly how she feels.

CONTEXTUAL

The dancer used expressive movements to tell a story of loss and hope without saying a single word.

COMPLEX

Critics praised the novelist's expressive prose, noting how her vivid metaphors captured the internal psychological states of her characters with remarkable precision.

Origin

From Middle French expressif.

Usage

Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be', 'become', or 'seem'.

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