impress

¹ American  

[im-pres, im-pres] / ɪmˈprɛs, ˈɪm prɛs /

verb (used with object)

impressed, imprest, impressing

1. to affect deeply or strongly in mind or feelings; influence in opinion.

   He impressed us as a sincere young man.

   Synonyms:

   sway, persuade, move, inspire, touch, stir, affect

2. to fix deeply or firmly on the mind or memory, as ideas or facts.

   to impress the importance of honesty on a child.

3. to urge, as something to be remembered or done.

   She impressed the need for action on them.

4. to press (a thing) into or on something.

5. to impose a particular characteristic or quality upon (something).

   The painter impressed his love of garish colors upon the landscape.

6. to produce (a mark, figure, etc.) by pressure; stamp; imprint.

   The king impressed his seal on the melted wax.

7. to apply with pressure, so as to leave a mark.

8. to subject to or mark by pressure with something.

9. to furnish with a mark, figure, etc., by or as if by stamping.

10. Electricity. to produce (a voltage) or cause (a voltage) to appear or be produced on a conductor, circuit, etc.

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verb (used without object)

impressed, imprest, impressing

1. to create a favorable impression; draw attention to oneself.

   a child's behavior intended to impress.

noun

1. the act of impressing.

2. a mark made by or as by pressure; stamp; imprint.

3. a distinctive character or effect imparted.

   writings that bear the impress of a strong personality.

impress ² American  

[im-pres, im-pres] / ɪmˈprɛs, ˈɪm prɛs /

verb (used with object)

impressed, imprest, impressing

1. to press or force into public service, as sailors.

2. to seize or take for public use.

3. to take or persuade into service by forceful arguments.

   The neighbors were impressed into helping the family move.

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noun

1. impressment.

impress ¹ British  

verb

1. to make an impression on; have a strong, lasting, or favourable effect on

   I am impressed by your work

2. to produce (an imprint, etc) by pressure in or on (something)

   to impress a seal in wax

   to impress wax with a seal

3. (often foll by on) to stress (something to a person); urge; emphasize

   to impress the danger of a situation on someone

4. to exert pressure on; press

5. electronics to apply (a voltage) to a circuit or device

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noun

1. the act or an instance of impressing

2. a mark, imprint, or effect produced by impressing

impress ² British  

verb

1. to commandeer or coerce (men or things) into government service; press-gang

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noun

1. the act of commandeering or coercing into government service; impressment

Other Word Forms

• impresser
  noun
• impressible
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of impress¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin impressus, past participle of imprimere “to press into or upon, impress,” equivalent to im- “in” + pressus, past participle of premere (combining form -primere ) “to press”; see im- ¹, press ¹, print

Origin of impress²

First recorded in 1590–1600; im- ¹ + press ²

Explanation

Think of the verb impress as "leaving a mark." You might impress a print onto canvas, or you might impress prospective employers in a job interview. Whether that impression will be good or bad is up to you! The past participle of the Latin verb imprimere, "to press," is impressus, which evolved in the 14th century to the meaning "to make a permanent image." The word then came to be used figuratively, as when your parents impress upon you the importance of being honest or when you impress the judges at a diving competition. Impress can also mean to conscript someone into the army.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

impress impressed impressing imprest

Replacing doors on the inside can also help impress potential buyers, Perry said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

But they’ve got another bone to pick with Holden Caulfield: He is being used as a prop by performative men to impress those around him.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

Alphabet’s financial results this week didn’t impress investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

In an era when politics has never been more visual, he'll need to dress to impress, whatever he decides to wear.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Making his way home, he resolved that he would hunt and shoot something, anything, to impress his family, especially his sisters, who thought he was a nuisance, beneath notice, as irritating as a fly.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

It has impressed his players in Australia on their pre-season tour, with outstanding ball-playing centre-back Levi Colwill saying he feels "jealous".

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

And there’s what winning that will mean for the franchise’s stature in L.A., a city that’s impressed by little that’s short of championships.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

A few of the subordinate roles are amateurishly performed, but the main parts are vividly pulled off, and I was generally impressed by the ensemble’s flow and cohesion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

He was impressed by heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine during an Oval Office meeting last month before the Ultimate Fighting Championship cage match at the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

If it weren’t for the fact that it was her theater they had overrun, she might have even been impressed.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Fresh from impressing Iraola in New York, Chambers hammered home from inside the box in the seventh minute after Milos Kerkez got a touch on Szoboszlai's corner.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Buddhas float overhead like a divine ideal but also weigh down on their visitors, impressing on us the difficulty of ever reaching enlightenment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

After impressing on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf, where he scored 24 goals in Germany's second tier, he joined Club Brugge in 2024 and quickly established himself as one of Belgium's most productive attacking players.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

I was hellbent on impressing my guests with culinary theatrics and wild flavors, thinking the more labor I poured into my meals, the better the quality of my party.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

Swordsfolk go toe-to-toe against one another in single combat, fighting for the honor of impressing the High King and his Court.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

I welcome thy spray As the prairie-bound hunter The dawning of day; No shackles have bound thee, No tyrant imprest The mark of the Pale face On torrent and crest.

From Indian Legends and Other Poems by Horsford, Mary Gardiner

In the rule given by the A.P.A. for the substitution of ed for t, lasht and imprest are given as examples.

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 26, July 1880. by Various

This is that Henry IV., whose scene at Canossa with the Pope—Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire waiting three days in the snow to kiss the foot of excommunicative Gregory—has imprest itself on all memories.

From Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 5 Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Switzerland, Part 1 by Halsey, Francis W. (Francis Whiting)

The ayre, in which My figures liknesse is imprest, will blast.

From Bussy D'Ambois and The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois by Boas, Frederick S.

He whose thoughts are imprest vividly on the surface is always placed at a glaring disadvantage.

From Common Sense, How to Exercise It by Yoritomo-Tashi, Mme. Blanchard

Related Words

• affect
• awe
• excite
• faze
• inspire
• sway
• thrill
• touch