SYMBOLISTIC Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

symbolistic

adjective

Definition of symbolistic

as in symbolist

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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

The collaboration launches with the work of LeRoy Neiman, who is known for his expressionist depictions of sports, leisure, and other facets of Americana.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Soon, his neo-expressionist paintings gained popularity, and they were featured in museums and galleries across the world.

— Nicole Harris, Parents, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of expressionist

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symbolist

symbolistic

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“Symbolistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolistic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of symbolistic

adjective

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