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express

/ɪkˈspɹɛs/
adjectivenounadverbverb

The EXPRESS meaning is a fast, direct transport service; EXPRESS scores 16 Scrabble points and has no listed anagrams.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Adjective 4 meanings

  1. Moving or operating quickly, as a train not making local stops.

  2. Specific or precise; directly and distinctly stated; not merely implied.

    “I gave him express instructions not to begin until I arrived, but he ignored me.”

  3. Truly depicted; exactly resembling.

    “In my eyes it bore a livelier image of the spirit, it seemed more express and single, than the imperfect and divided countenance.”

  4. Providing a more limited but presumably faster service than a full or complete dealer of the same kind or type.

    “Tesco Express”

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A mode of transportation, often a train, that travels quickly or directly, either on a regular schedule or as a special or excursion. Express trains often pass through stations along the way without stopping at them.

    “I took the express into town.”

  2. A service that allows mail or money to be sent rapidly from one destination to another.

  3. An express rifle.

  4. A messenger sent on a special errand; a courier.

Adverb 1 meaning

  1. Moving or operating quickly, as a train not making local stops.

    “The train runs express to 96 St.”

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To convey or communicate; to make known or explicit.

    “Words cannot express the love I feel for him.”

  2. To press, squeeze out (especially said of milk).

  3. To translate messenger RNA into protein.

  4. To transcribe deoxyribonucleic acid into messenger RNA.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From French exprès, from Latin expressus, past participle of exprimere (see Etymology 2, below).

Similar and opposite words

Similar
fastcrackexplicitplaincleardirectmonosemicmonosemous
Opposite
impliedlocalstopper

EXPRESS is a familiar seven-letter word with several noun senses: a train that runs quickly or skips stops, rapid mail or money delivery, and an express rifle. Its repeated E and S seem ripe for rearrangement, yet no anagram is listed. The X supplies half the base score, and the final -ess sound connects it to a dozen rhymes.

EXPRESS at a glance

  • EXPRESS has seven letters and scores 16 points before board bonuses.
  • No anagrams appear, despite the repeated E and S tiles.
  • EMPRESS is its sole one-letter neighbour.
  • Twelve listed rhymes share its final -ess sound, including PRESS and SUCCESS.
  • Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE all include EXPRESS.

What is the EXPRESS meaning?

EXPRESS most often names fast or direct transport. An express train may pass stations without stopping, so the word fits clues about limited-stop service as well as quick travel.

An express service also sends mail or money rapidly. A third, narrower sense is an express rifle; that specialized use sits far from ordinary travel talk.

Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE accept EXPRESS. Game dictionaries differ, so check your board's word list before challenging an unfamiliar entry; meaning alone does not settle playability.

Score, spelling and sound

EXPRESS has a 16-point base value: E, R, both S tiles, and the other E score one each; P scores three, and X scores eight. That X accounts for half the total, so placing it on a premium letter square is the sharp scoring choice. A word multiplier boosts the whole play, but does not change the printed tile values.

Anagram search gives no alternate arrangement. The only one-letter neighbour is EMPRESS, where M replaces the first E; both words keep the same seven-letter length. That is a notably narrow neighbourhood for a familiar word, so don't assume a rearrangement or small spelling change will produce several options.

Rhyming clues open a different route: PRESS, LESS, GUESS, SUCCESS, and PROCESS share the final -ess sound. The full set has twelve entries, including words much longer than EXPRESS, so rhyme is a sound match, not a promise of equal length or anagram status.

For the EXPRESS meaning, transport and rapid delivery are the clearest starting points; the rifle sense is the outlier.

Rhymes with express

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • EMPRESS11

Questions people ask

Is EXPRESS a valid Scrabble word?
Yes. EXPRESS appears in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE, so it is accepted in those word lists. The word has familiar transport and delivery senses, along with the less common express-rifle sense.
How many points is EXPRESS worth in Scrabble?
EXPRESS scores 16 points before any board bonuses. Its X is worth eight, P is worth three, and the E, R, and two S tiles are worth one apiece. A premium letter square affects the X's contribution; a word square multiplies the play's total.
Does EXPRESS have any anagrams or one-letter neighbours?
No anagrams are listed for EXPRESS. Its only one-letter neighbour is EMPRESS, which changes the first E to M while preserving the rest of the spelling. The rhyme set is broader: PRESS and SUCCESS are among twelve words sharing the final -ess sound.

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