SYMBOLISTIC Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

symbolistic

adjective

Definition of symbolistic

as in symbolist

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 symbolistic 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, 27 Jan. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolistic

Adjective

The art of the Intifada was a symbolist art that consciously addressed its own population, not the international art world.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
With its radical sound design and striking symbolist imagery, A Well for the Thirsty is a singular achievement that announced Ilyenko as a worthy heir of Alexander Dovzhenko.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of symbolist

Adjective

Inevitably, much of that knowledge was still undigested and poorly sorted; as a result the planet, viewed from Europe, must have seemed a rather impressionistic and formless place.

— Ian Tattersall, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026
As Pattinson spends a long night trying to rescue his brother, the Safdies weave a nightmarish, impressionistic vision of New York that ranks among the most unsettling cinematic depictions of the city.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of impressionistic

Adjective

Raimi and his collaborators go all out, ramping up the expressionistic filmmaking and embracing a clearer tone of comical absurdity.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
In his songs, the English language turned woolier and more expressionistic; musical space-time distended and stretched.

— New York Times, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Definition of expressionistic

Adjective

Founded in 1960 and renovated in the 2010s, the museum in the south of France celebrates the work of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, an impressionist painter who died in 1919.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
The exhibit of impressionist Vincent Van Gogh’s work combined moving images and music.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of impressionist

Adjective

For nearly 50 years, illustrator and comic book creator Bill Sienkiewicz has burned, splattered and slashed his way across the page with his expressionist approach to visual storytelling.

— Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
By the 1980s, Baselitz’s profile began to expand beyond Germany, when he was exhibited in dialogue with figurative painters sharing his expressionist leanings, including Italy’s Sandro Chia and Francesco Clemente.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026

Definition of expressionist

Browse Nearby Words

symbolist

symbolistic

symbolize

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Symbolistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolistic. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of symbolistic

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compendious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes