expressive
adjective
ex·pres·sive
ik-ˈspre-siv 
1
: of or relating to expression
the expressive function of language
2
: serving to express, utter, or represent
… foul and novel terms expressive of rage.—
H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells3
: effectively conveying meaning or feeling
an expressive silence
expressive line drawings
expressively
adverb
expressiveness
noun
Examples of expressive in a Sentence
the expressive function of language
the teacher's expressive sigh showed that she had heard that excuse many times before
Recent Examples on the Web
Its distinct silhouette celebrates New Balance heritage while feeling fresh and serves as a reminder that design can be both functional and expressive.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
The end result is a small but expressive robot version of Rocky that captures much of the personality fans loved in Project Hail Mary.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
A lot of it was kind of reckonings with childhood, really very expressive work.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Motorola takes a more expressive approach, offering Pantone Cocoa (a wood finish) and Pantone Orient Blue (an Alcantara finish).
—Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for expressive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Riley Jones, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
The end result is a small but expressive robot version of Rocky that captures much of the personality fans loved in Project Hail Mary.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
A lot of it was kind of reckonings with childhood, really very expressive work.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Motorola takes a more expressive approach, offering Pantone Cocoa (a wood finish) and Pantone Orient Blue (an Alcantara finish).
—Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for expressive
Cite this Entry
“Expressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expressive. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expressive
adjective
ex·pres·sive
ik-ˈspres-iv
1
: of or relating to expression
2
: serving to express
3
: full of expression
also
: openly expressing one's feelings
an expressive face
expressively
adverb
expressiveness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
