symbolist

Definition of symbolistnext

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 symbolist Another adopted a symbolist approach, breaking the novel down into its constituent elements and tracing each back to signs and symbols in Iranian culture and history. Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolist
Adjective
  • Williams was the group’s poet but also its madcap, blending a symbolistic worldview with a devilish sense of humor.
    Ethan Mordden, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2018
  • The symbolistic use of the color red, worn by the accusing girls, is contrasted with the more subdued colors of the accused.
    Orange County Register, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2017
Adjective
  • 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, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
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
  • Inspired by Mediterranean pieces, this coverlet is styled best with terra-cotta floors, a humble wood side table, and a small impressionist painting above a four-poster bed.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The iconic work, part of the museum’s large collection of French impressionist paintings, fueled her imagination — and later, a love affair with Paris.
    Jake Kring-Schreifels, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • On March 24, the space brings together Maria Somerville and Joanne Robertson, impressionistic artists who broke out with mesmerizing records last year.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
  • While the lengthy interviews with Yo are gentle and tasteful (including scenes of her in the nude), the movie’s editing in more impressionistic scenes takes on the same semi-abstract qualities as Fitch’s representations, which seem to live halfway between the material and the emotional.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Symbolist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolist. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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