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

The show sees drag queens compete in a series of challenges to impress judges RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr, and often features big name celebrity guest judges.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

"In the 1840 narrative, Byfield sought to impress wealthy patrons by presenting himself as a dutiful soldier and deserving veteran," O'Keeffe says.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

Over drinks, Black tried to impress upon him the magnitude of the potential opportunity that the Athene merger presented—and what it would mean for Harris’s 59 million Apollo shares.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

But the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Bailey, an undrafted free agent from Louisville, continues to impress.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Sure, at college some of the fellows walked around with pipes they never smoked and books they never read to impress girls or what have you.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

The same set of players, with a few additions and omissions, had already impressed at continental level.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Dawson finished with 3-32 and Jamie Overton 2-23, while Sonny Baker impressed again with his pace and control in a miserly spell of 1-15, including a wicket maiden in the 19th over.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

You might not be impressed by a stock with a 2% dividend yield as long-term interest rates have been rising quickly in the bond market.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Yet the Chargers’ newest playcaller has been impressed with Slaughter’s comprehension and attention to detail.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

Maybe he was swayed by Poggi’s status—he’d been impressed that the director of the Uffizi was meeting with him.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

While most said Carrick deserved his shot at the job full-time, others said it smacked of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment, also after impressing in interim charge in 2019.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

As the company achieves notable growth — sales more than doubled in the latest quarter — it’s also impressing Wall Street with its profit performance.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 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

He won the nomination after impressing his CEA colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

I’d felt uncomfortable around him, especially while my dad was overly focused on impressing his older brother.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

In the contemplation of mind, from the highest order to the lowest rank,—from man, to the maggot that consumes him; we are imprest with the evidence of appropriate contrivance and infinite wisdom.

From Sound Mind or, Contributions to the natural history and physiology of the human intellect by John Haslam

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

While pity prompts the rising sigh, With awful power imprest; May this dread truth, "I too must die," Sink deep in every breast.

From Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason together with the Ceremony of Installation, Laying Corner Stones, Dedications, Masonic Burial, Etc. by George Thornburgh

And e’en when this beauty your bosom has blest, The brightest o’ beauty may cloy when possest; But the sweet yellow darlings wi’ Geordie imprest, The langer ye hae them—the mair they’re carest.

From The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence. With a New Life of the Poet, and Notices, Critical and Biographical by Allan Cunningham by Robert Burns

If I had been going into a real engagement I could not have been more deeply imprest by the importance of the occasion.

From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. X (of X) - America - II, Index by Henry Cabot Lodge

Related Words

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