Convey vs. Express: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Convey means to transport or carry something from one place to another, or communicate ideas indirectly, while express involves directly stating or depicting emotions, thoughts, or ideas.
Key Differences
Convey often implies a more indirect or subtle way of sharing information, ideas, or feelings, often requiring interpretation. Express, in contrast, is more about direct and clear communication, leaving little to interpretation.
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Dec 07, 2023
When conveying, the focus might not always be on the emotional aspect, but rather on the transfer of information or concepts. Expressing, however, often involves a strong emphasis on personal feelings or opinions.
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Dec 07, 2023
Convey can be used in a broader sense, including the physical movement of objects. Express is predominantly used in the context of communication, both verbal and non-verbal.
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Dec 07, 2023
To convey something can involve non-verbal cues, symbolism, or context-dependent communication. Expressing something is typically straightforward and unambiguous, using clear language or actions.
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Dec 07, 2023
In literary or artistic contexts, conveying might involve symbolism and thematic elements, requiring audience interpretation. Expressing in these fields is more about direct representation and clear communication of ideas or emotions.
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Dec 07, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Focus
Transfer of information or concepts
Explicit display of emotions or thoughts
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Context of Use
Broader, including physical transfer
Mainly in verbal and non-verbal communication
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Emphasis
Can be more on content than emotion
Strong on personal feelings and opinions
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Usage in Arts
Symbolism, thematic elements
Direct representation, clear communication
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Convey and Express Definitions
Convey
To impart or communicate by statement, suggestion, gesture, or appearance.
His tone conveyed a sense of urgency.
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Dec 07, 2023
Express
To articulate or communicate thoughts, opinions, or feelings.
She expressed her ideas clearly in the meeting.
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Dec 07, 2023
Convey
To transport or carry from one place to another.
The pipeline conveys water to the village.
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Express
To send by express delivery or shipment.
He expressed the package overnight.
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Dec 07, 2023
Convey
To communicate or make known indirectly.
Her gesture conveyed her disapproval.
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Express
To make known one's thoughts or feelings.
He expressed his gratitude to his mentor.
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Convey
To serve as a medium for conveying.
The documentary conveyed the struggles of the community.
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Express
To manifest or communicate, as by a gesture; show
Expressed his anger with a frown.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
To serve as a medium of transmission for; transmit
Wires that convey electricity.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To make known the feelings or opinions of (oneself), as by statement or art.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
To communicate or make known; impart
"a look intended to convey sympathetic comprehension" (Saki).
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To convey or suggest a representation of; depict
The painting expresses the rage of war victims.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To represent by a sign, symbol, number, or formula
Express a fraction as a decimal.
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Convey
To move (something) from one place to another.
Air conveys sound. Water is conveyed through the pipe.
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Express
To send by special messenger or rapid transport
Express a package to Los Angeles.
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Express
To synthesize (a product, especially a protein) encoded by a gene
A gene that expresses an enzyme.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
To communicate; to make known; to portray.
To convey an impression; to convey information
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To manifest the effects of (a gene)
Half of the people who inherit the gene express it.
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Convey
(legal) To transfer legal rights (to).
He conveyed ownership of the company to his daughter.
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Express
To manifest (a genetic trait)
All the mice in the study expressed the defect.
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Convey
To carry from one place to another; to bear or transport.
I will convey them by sea in floats.
Convey me to my bed, then to my grave.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Rapid and having few or no stops or interruptions
Express delivery of packages.
An express bus.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
To cause to pass from one place or person to another; to serve as a medium in carrying (anything) from one place or person to another; to transmit; as, air conveys sound; words convey ideas.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Of, relating to, or appropriate for rapid travel
Express lanes on a freeway.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
To transfer or deliver to another; to make over, as property; more strictly (Law), to transfer (real estate) or pass (a title to real estate) by a sealed writing.
The Earl of Desmond . . . secretly conveyed all his lands to feoffees in trust.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
To impart or communicate; as, to convey an impression; to convey information.
Men fill one another's heads with noise and sound, but convey not thereby their thoughts.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
To manage with privacy; to carry out.
I . . . will convey the business as I shall find means.
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Express
A means of transport, such as a train, that travels rapidly and makes few or no stops before its destination.
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Convey
To play the thief; to steal.
But as I am Crack, I will convey, crossbite, and cheat upon Simplicius.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
Serve as a means for expressing something;
The painting of Mary carries motherly love
His voice carried a lot af anger
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
(not comparable) Moving or operating quickly, as a train not making local stops.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
(comparable) 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.
This book cannot be copied without the express permission of the publisher.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
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.
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Oct 19, 2023
Convey
Transmit or serve as the medium for transmission;
Sound carries well over water
The airwaves carry the sound
Many metals conduct heat
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Providing a more limited but presumably faster service than a full or complete dealer of the same kind or type.
Pizza Hut Express
McDonald's Express
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Convey
Take something or somebody with oneself somewhere;
Bring me the box from the other room
Take these letters to the boss
This brings me to the main point
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
A mode of transportation, often a train, that travels quickly or directly.
I took the express into town.
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Convey
Go or come after and bring or take back;
Get me those books over there, please
Could you bring the wine?
The dog fetched the hat
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Express
A service that allows mail or money to be sent rapidly from one destination to another.
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Convey
To transmit or transfer something.
The conveyor belt conveys luggage at the airport.
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Express
(obsolete) A clear image or representation; an expression; a plain declaration.
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Express
(obsolete) The action of conveying some idea using words or actions; communication, expression.
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Express
Moving or operating quickly, as a train not making local stops.
The train runs express to 96 St.
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Express
(transitive) To convey or communicate; to make known or explicit.
Words cannot express the love I feel for him.
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Express
(biochemistry) To transcribe deoxyribonucleic acid into messenger RNA.
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Express
Exactly representing; exact.
Their human countenanceThe express resemblance of the gods.
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Express
Directly and distinctly stated; declared in terms; not implied or left to inference; made unambiguous by intention and care; clear; not dubious; as, express consent; an express statement.
I have express commandment.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Of or pertaining to an express train or other conveyance designated an express{5}; makiung few or no intermediate stops; as, an express stop; an express fare; an express elevator.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Intended for a particular purpose; relating to an express; sent on a particular errand; dispatched with special speed; as, an express messenger or train. Also used adverbially.
A messenger sent express from the other world.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
A clear image or representation; an expression; a plain declaration.
The only remanent express of Christ's sacrifice on earth.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
A messenger sent on a special errand; a courier; hence, a regular and fast conveyance; commonly, a company or system for the prompt and safe transportation of merchandise or parcels.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
An express office.
She charged him . . . to ask at the express if anything came up from town.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
A railway train or bus for transporting passengers or goods with speed and punctuality; a train or bus that does not stop at certain stations. Contrasted to local; as, take the express to get there faster.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To press or squeeze out; as, to express the juice of grapes, or of apples; hence, to extort; to elicit.
All the fruits out of which drink is expressed.
And th'idle breath all utterly expressed.
Halters and racks can not express from theeMore than by deeds.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To make or offer a representation of; to show by a copy or likeness; to represent; to resemble.
Each skillful artist shall express thy form.
So kids and whelps their sires and dams express.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To give a true impression of; to represent and make known; to manifest plainly; to show in general; to exhibit, as an opinion or feeling, by a look, gesture, and esp. by language; to declare; to utter; to tell.
My words express my purpose.
They expressed in their lives those excellent doctrines of morality.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To make known the opinions or feelings of; to declare what is in the mind of; to show (one's self); to cause to appear; - used reflexively.
Mr. Phillips did express with much indignation against me, one evening.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To denote; to designate.
Moses and Aaron took these men, which are expressed by their names.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To send by express messenger; to forward by special opportunity, or through the medium of an express; as, to express a package.
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To produce products that cause the appearance of the corresponding phenotype; - of a gene or of an organism with a specific gene; as, to express the beta-galactosidase gene,
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Public transport consisting of a fast train or bus that makes a limited number of scheduled stops;
He caught the express to New York
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Express
Articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise;
She expressed her anger
He uttered a curse
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Indicate through a symbol, formula, etc.;
Can you express this distance in kilometers?
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Serve as a means for expressing something;
The painting of Mary carries motherly love
His voice carried a lot af anger
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Manifest the effects of (a gene or genetic trait);
Many of the laboratory animals express the trait
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Obtain from a substance, as by mechanical action;
Italians express coffee rather than filter it
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
Send my rapid transport or special messenger service;
She expressed the letter to Florida
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Oct 19, 2023
Express
To represent something in a form that can be perceived.
The artist expressed his emotions through his paintings.
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Dec 07, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Is expressing always verbal?
No, it can also be through actions, art, or body language.
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Dec 07, 2023
What's a key difference in communication style?
Convey is more indirect, while express is direct.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can convey involve physical movement?
Yes, it can mean physically transporting something.
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Dec 07, 2023
What does it mean to convey a message?
To communicate a message, often indirectly or through a medium.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can convey be non-verbal?
Yes, it often involves non-verbal cues or context.
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Dec 07, 2023
Is expressing related to emotions?
Yes, it often involves sharing personal feelings.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can you express something unintentionally?
Yes, through body language or tone.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can you express something by writing?
Yes, writing is a common way to express thoughts or feelings.
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Dec 07, 2023
Is conveying always intentional?
Not always, it can be unintentional or subconscious.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can physical objects convey meaning?
Yes, through symbolic representation or function.
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How does convey work in literature?
Through symbolism and thematic elements requiring interpretation.
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What role does context play in conveying?
It's often vital for interpreting the conveyed message.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can convey be used in a technical sense?
Yes, like conveying data or electricity.
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Can expressions be misinterpreted?
Yes, especially if not clearly communicated.
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Dec 07, 2023
Does express have a specific connotation in shipping?
Yes, it refers to fast or direct shipment.
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Dec 07, 2023
Does convey require an audience's interpretation?
Often, as it can be subtle or symbolic.
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Dec 07, 2023
Is expressing limited to positive emotions?
No, it encompasses all types of emotions and thoughts.
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Dec 07, 2023
How does tone of voice affect expression?
It can greatly influence how feelings or attitudes are perceived.
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Dec 07, 2023
How do artists convey messages in their work?
Through symbolism, style, and thematic choices.
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Dec 07, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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