impressive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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 new follower boost is impressive, and also shows the global reach of soccer.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
The movie that Early’s impressive debut most brings to mind, in its own modest way, is Todd Haynes’ ominous 1995 medical mystery “Safe,” itself a spin on disease-of-the-week TV trash but elevated into high art.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
Cape Verde's 0-0 draw against Spain was perhaps the biggest upset of the tournament so far and it was also perhaps the most tactically impressive.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
“The U.S. consumer has shown an impressive determination to keep shopping throughout the tariff and oil price shocks, cutting savings as real income growth turned negative,” said Paul Donovan, chief economist at UBS Wealth Management.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
Once, in another era, she supposed the massive tent might have been considered grand, even impressive to some.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
