demonstrative

adjective

di-ˈmän(t)-strə-tiv How to pronounce demonstrative (audio)
Definition of demonstrativenext
1
as in emotional
showing feeling freely my grandmother was always very demonstrative when we visited, showering us with hugs and kisses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passionate
having or expressing great depth of feeling a demonstrative welcome for the returning troops by their families and friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of demonstrative While Wall Street executives have beat a trail to the UAE capital since the onset of the war, Silicon Valley leaders — who have been a major beneficiary of Gulf sovereign wealth funds’ largesse — have been less demonstrative. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 12 June 2026 His trademark cool was sidelined by a more demonstrative style, closer to the theatrical sensibilities of 2Pac than the muted menace that once defined him. — Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2026 Our bond has never been loud or demonstrative. — Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 Alamo could be somewhat demonstrative toward Bishop, too. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for demonstrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demonstrative
  1. emotional
  2. passionate
  3. affectionate
  4. passional
  5. effusive
  6. warm
  7. loving
  8. fervent
Adjective
  • On Thursday, when Samueli Foundation officials called to notify grant winners – in this case, 22 nonprofits that will receive Build OC money – the conversations sometimes turned emotional.
    — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
  • How does that messy, emotional person do something so clinical?
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of emotional
Adjective
  • Despite the full lineup and passionate patriotic crowd in Seattle, Team USA looked uncomfortable from the start, fell behind early, made sloppy mistakes and could not keep up with the Belgians, who move on to face Spain in the quarterfinals.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • Mexico’s passionate fans blasted horns outside the England hotel to disrupt players’ sleep, and the start of the match was delayed an hour because of a thunderstorm.
    — Carlos Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2026
Definition of passionate
Adjective
  • At one point, the couple could be seen standing in the audience while taking turns planting affectionate kisses on each other's cheeks.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
  • The couple were affectionate while walking the red carpet together as well as while inside the venue.
    — Sarah Sotoodeh , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
Definition of affectionate
Adjective
  • At Fox, Collier became known for his passional embrace of blockchain, NFTs and the whole Web3 space.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Nov. 2022
Definition of passional
Adjective
  • As expected, participants were effusive in their praise for the honoree.
    — Paul Harris, Variety, 29 June 2026
  • Cheveldayoff was more effusive.
    — Murat Ates, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Definition of effusive
Adjective
  • More than 1,300 heat records were matched or broken for maximum high temperatures and warm overnight lows across 40 states and territories over the four days.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Previous studies have shown that young white sharks prefer warmer waters and often leave nursery habitats when temperatures fall below certain thresholds.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of warm
Adjective
  • This loving, anguished memorial movie includes copious clips of Adrian from the director’s earlier films and from home movies.
    — Marina Harss, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
  • Till this day their relationship is remembered as one of the most loving of them all.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026
Definition of loving
Adjective
  • England versus Mexico was an all-time epic played in one of sports’ most fervent atmospheres at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • These 15 mountain towns in California offer contemporary amenities amid the beautiful landscapes that inspired one of nature’s most fervent champions.
    — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026
Definition of fervent

Browse Nearby Words

demonstrations
demonstrative
demonstrator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demonstrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demonstrative. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on demonstrative

Nglish: Translation of demonstrative for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All