expression
Collocations
79(noun.) showing feelings/ideas
ADJ
clear, coherent
His angry face was a clear expression of how disappointed he felt about the result.
concrete, material, practical, tangible
Her charity work gave tangible expression to her deep commitment to helping homeless people.
direct
Her face showed a direct expression of anger when she heard the news.
full
His love for music found its fullest expression when he started composing his own songs.
highest, perfect, ultimate
The artist's ultimate expression of her talent was the mural she painted on the city wall.
effective, powerful | simple
natural
Dancing was her natural expression of joy whenever she heard music.
spontaneous
free
In democratic countries, citizens enjoy free expression and can speak their opinions without fear.
open, overt, public
When the protesters gathered in the square, their overt expression of anger was impossible to ignore.
outward
Her calm face was just an outward expression that hid her real nervousness inside.
formal
characteristic, classic
Shyness is a classic expression of nervousness that many teenagers experience during their first day of school.
unique
collective
The crowd's collective expression of grief was visible in their silent faces.
individual, personal
Children's artwork gives them a chance to show their personal expression.
visible, visual | emotional, physical, sexual, verbal | artistic, creative, cultural, linguistic, literary, musical, poetic, political, religious | human
VERB + EXPRESSION
achieve, find, reach, receive
Her creativity finally achieved expression through painting after years of feeling trapped.
allow sth, give sth
The art teacher encouraged her students to give expression to their emotions through painting.
demand, need, require
His anger needed expression, so he decided to write in his journal every night.
PREP
beyond ~
The children's excitement was beyond expression when they saw the surprise birthday party.
PHRASES
freedom of expression
Many journalists believe that freedom of expression is essential for a healthy democracy.
a means of expression
Art has always been a means of expression for people who struggle to find words.
(noun.) on sb's face
ADJ
bland, blank, frozen, set, vacant | dazed, glazed
deadpan
She told the funny story with a deadpan expression that made everyone laugh even harder.
curious, enigmatic, inscrutable, odd, strange, unreadable | guarded | searching | faraway | thoughtful, wistful | doubtful, wary | anxious, troubled, worried | bleak, grim, serious | angry, fierce, furious, stern | hangdog, hunted, lugubrious, melancholy, mournful, pained, sad | brooding, intense, rapt | surprised, shocked | baffled, bemused, bewildered, puzzled, quizzical | alert | amused, wry | benign, sympathetic | satisfied, smug | innocent | fleeting | facial
VERB + EXPRESSION
have, wear
When he heard the news, he wore a shocked expression that made everyone in the room go silent.
assume, put on
When he walked into the room, he assumed a confident expression to hide his nervousness.
take on
When the teacher announced the surprise test, the students' faces took on expressions of panic and disbelief.
catch, see
When I saw the confused expression on his face, I realized he hadn't understood my explanation.
watch
gauge, read
She tried to gauge his expression to understand whether he was angry or just tired.
change
When I told her the good news, her expression changed from worried to delighted.
EXPRESSION + VERB
alter, change
Her facial expression altered the moment she heard the surprising news.
relax, soften
When she heard the good news, her worried expression relaxed completely.
darken, harden
When he heard the bad news, his expression darkened immediately.
freeze
betray sth, reveal sth, show sth, suggest sth, tell sb sth
His worried expression revealed that something had gone badly wrong at work.
give nothing away
cross sth, flit across sth
A look of confusion flitted across his expression when she asked the unexpected question.
PREP
without ~
The waiter took our order without expression, his face completely blank.
~ of
She gave an expression of disappointment when she saw the test results.
PHRASES
the expression in sb's eyes/on sb's face
Sarah noticed the worried expression on her mother's face when the doctor came into the room.
(noun.) words
ADJ
common | outdated | colloquial, slang | favourite | memorable | strange, unusual | figurative, idiomatic | coarse, vulgar | American, English, etc.
geographical
The Middle East is a complex geographical expression that means different things to different people.
VERB + EXPRESSION
use
My grandmother often uses old-fashioned expressions that my friends don't understand.
EXPRESSION + VERB
mean sth