Expressive
Expressive adjective - Clearly conveying a special meaning (as one's mood).
Plain and expressive are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Plain" instead an adjective "Expressive".
Plain
Plain adjective - Free from all additions or embellishment.
Expressive and plain are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Expressive" instead an adjective "Plain".
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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Undertale has the skeletal brothers Sans and Papyrus, who manage to be very expressive with their eye sockets in spite of the fact they have eyes of a sort—Glowing Eyelights of Undeath in the case of Sans and just plain ol' googly eyes (sometimes) for Papyrus.
Source: Expressive Mask -
In an odd example Aito actually likes his student's terrible art better than Ashisu's because, while Ashisu can draw better they lack character and personality, while his student's were plain but expressive.
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She is All Grown Up: Later on in the book, it is stated that Rebecca has grown from a somewhat plain child to a beautiful, tall young woman with thick, shining black hair, an olive-skinned complexion and expressive dark eyes.
Cite this Source
Plain and Expressive. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/expressive/plain
Expressive & Plain. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/expressive/plain>.
Plain or Expressive. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/expressive/plain.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "expressive" and "plain" have occurred on timeline