Meaning & use
expansive mood
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
A relaxed, cheerful state of mind in which a person feels generous, talks freely and is open to new ideas.
Grammar: Usually follows in or into: he was in an expansive mood.
Patterns
- be in an expansive mood
- in an expansive mood
After the successful launch, the boss was in an expansive mood and bought lunch for everyone.
Grandpa gets into an expansive mood at family dinners and tells long stories.
In an expansive mood, she agreed to pay for the whole trip.
Common combinations
- in an expansive mood
- He was in an expansive mood after the wedding.
- feel expansive
- Sunshine always makes me feel expansive.
- turn expansive
- The host turned expansive after the second glass of juice.
- an expansive smile
- She greeted the guests with an expansive smile.
Synonyms and how they differ
- genial
- Genial stresses friendliness toward others, while expansive mood also suggests talkativeness and generosity.
- jovial
- Jovial focuses on cheerful humor and fun, where an expansive mood is more about being open and unguarded.
- effusive
- Effusive suggests over-the-top gushing and can sound insincere, while expansive is usually warmer and more neutral.
Opposites
Word family
- expansive adjective
- friendly and open, or covering a wide area
- expansively adverb
- in a friendly, open, talkative way
- expansiveness noun
- the quality of being open and generous
- expand verb
- to become or make larger
Commonly confused: expansive mood or expensive?
expansive mood vs expensive
Expensive means costing a lot of money; expansive means wide-ranging or open and talkative.
Practice
Which person is most clearly in an expansive mood?
Choose one answer.
An expansive mood is open, talkative and generous. Silence, anger and tiredness do not match it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “expansive mood”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.