impressive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of impressive
Explanation
Something that is impressive stands out because it is really good. Some of the most impressive college application essays are those that reflect on past events that shaped who the writer is today. When you impress someone, you show that you are special or that what you did is praiseworthy. So something that's impressive does just that, like the impressive feat of running a marathon every week for a year. The earliest meaning of impressive was "capable of being easily impressed," from the Latin word impressus, "imprint or stamp." By around 1775, the meaning had changed to "making a strong impression on."
Vocabulary lists containing impressive
A Long Walk to Water
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Freak the Mighty
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The City of Ember
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The main floor comes complete with several seating areas, one of which is outfitted in impressive glass walls that overlook the backyard.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
While Chinese robots have produced some impressive displays, they have taken place in highly controlled or structured environments – the antithesis of real-world warfare.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
As impressive as that sounds, the stock was falling 3% in early European trading and its American depositary receipts were pointing 1.8% lower ahead of the open.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
New CEO Meg O’Neill has made an impressive start to her tenure by opting to reset the company into upstream and downstream divisions, she adds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Bringing this little boy to justice was hardly the impressive feat she needed to accomplish, but she was feeling desperate.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
