expressively

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US/ɪkˈspɹɛ.sɪv.li/US/ɛkˈspɹɛ.sɪv.li/

adverb

In an expressive manner.

“You can play the exercises pretty well on piano, fair enough, but can you play the movement expressively?”

UncommonScrabble 27

Meanings

adverbexpressively (comparative more expressively, superlative most expressively)

comparative more expressively · superlative most expressively

  1. In an expressive manner.

    You can play the exercises pretty well on piano, fair enough, but can you play the movement expressively?

    3 more examples

    "I apprehend that my French is not equal to your letter, Monsieur," said Elizabeth, glancing her eye expressively at her companion; "will you favour us with its substance in English?"

    1823, [James Fenimore Cooper], The Pioneers, or The Sources of the Susquehanna; […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), New York, N.Y.: Charles Wiley; […], →OCLC

    A low tap was heard at the room door. Mr. Bob Sawyer looked expressively at his friend, and bade the tapper come in[…]

    1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the chapter name)”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC

    There was quite a bewildering succession of drives, dances, picnics and boating parties, all expressively lumped together by Phil under the head of “jamborees”

    1915, L[ucy] M[aud] Montgomery, Anne of the Island, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbwith expression; in an expressive manner

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Catalan expressivament
  • expressivamentin expressive manner
Czech expresivně
  • expresivněin expressive manner
Finnish ekspressiivisesti
  • ekspressiivisestiin expressive manner
Italian espressivamente
  • espressivamentein expressive manner
Portuguese expressivamente
  • expressivamentein expressive manner
Russian вырази́тельно, экспресси́вно
  • вырази́тельно (vyrazítelʹno)in expressive manner
  • экспресси́вно (ekspressívno)in expressive manner
Spanish expresivamente
  • expresivamentein expressive manner
Cite this entry
APA

expressively. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expressively

MLA

“expressively.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expressively. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “expressively,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expressively.

Source: expressively on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.