as in impressionistic
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 expressionistic
The production works best when the play’s expressionistic flourishes invite theatergoers to consider more deeply the subjective experiences and societal subtexts that are being externalized.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Perhaps a more perverse, expressionistic route is required.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Like a director manning a film dolly, Kehlmann pans from one perspective to another—including those of Greta Garbo and Louise Brooks, two glamorous actors whom Pabst discovered—to give an expressionistic sense of the people and the forces shaping his life.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
In nearly all these cases, there remains a sense of the uncanny, which makes the more recent works in the restaged show noteworthy for their comparably insistent, sometimes expressionistic representation of a warped realism.
—Tim Griffin, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Van Hove and Versweyveld share a sensibility that manages to embrace both expressionistic minimalism and a penchant for showmanship, sometimes in the same setting.
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025
Eiichi Yamamoto’s expressionistic picture, adapted from Jules Michelet’s non-fiction Satanism and Witchcraft, initially seems to be a rape-revenge setup fairly typical of the ’70s.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
The first major Frankenstein film liberally adapts the source material, but in lieu of staging the novel as written, James Whale leans into expressionistic production design and Gothic spectacle.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
If earlier iterations of the lesbian vampire film were Gothic and ornate, Nadja is more shoegaze, captured on bleary black-and-white videotape with an expressionistic flair.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Perhaps a more perverse, expressionistic route is required.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Like a director manning a film dolly, Kehlmann pans from one perspective to another—including those of Greta Garbo and Louise Brooks, two glamorous actors whom Pabst discovered—to give an expressionistic sense of the people and the forces shaping his life.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
In nearly all these cases, there remains a sense of the uncanny, which makes the more recent works in the restaged show noteworthy for their comparably insistent, sometimes expressionistic representation of a warped realism.
—Tim Griffin, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Van Hove and Versweyveld share a sensibility that manages to embrace both expressionistic minimalism and a penchant for showmanship, sometimes in the same setting.
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025
Eiichi Yamamoto’s expressionistic picture, adapted from Jules Michelet’s non-fiction Satanism and Witchcraft, initially seems to be a rape-revenge setup fairly typical of the ’70s.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
The first major Frankenstein film liberally adapts the source material, but in lieu of staging the novel as written, James Whale leans into expressionistic production design and Gothic spectacle.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
If earlier iterations of the lesbian vampire film were Gothic and ornate, Nadja is more shoegaze, captured on bleary black-and-white videotape with an expressionistic flair.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expressionistic
Adjective
-
That lurid fable was followed by 2023’s Pictures of Ghosts, an impressionistic documentary that told the parallel stories of Mendonça Filho’s life in movies and Recife’s decaying cinemas.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The animation — hand-painting on canvas and glass render the hypnotic water effects — feels impressionistic, like a work of fine art come to life.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The production is naturalistic, with bits of expressionist neo-noir worked in when a crime is being described.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
One of music’s greatest cosmic ironies is how ground zero for the expressionist rage known as death metal is located in easy driving distance from the Most Magical Place on Earth.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
19 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Perched in the scenic hills above Los Angeles, The Getty Center focuses on European art from the Middle Ages through the early 20th century, and is packed with Italian Renaissance paintings, Dutch Golden Age art, and impressionist pieces.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Guests will include Wyclef Jean and Andra Day with the music, while comedian and impressionist Matt Friend will report for the show from the red carpet.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expressionistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expressionistic. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
