impressive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- impressively adverb
- impressiveness noun
- preimpressive adjective
- unimpressive adjective
- unimpressively adverb
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.
Their run is all the more impressive considering the departures of key players Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Antoine Semenyo this season.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
It’s impressive, but it pales in comparison to AMD’s 38% rise and Intel’s 56% gain over the same period.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
The U.S. stock market’s prospects continue to deteriorate, according to the gold-platinum ratio — a relatively obscure indicator with an impressive track record predicting the stock market’s 12-month return.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
Slot that in as the second-most impressive achievement in James’ decades-long career.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Although William’s job title was impressive, his working conditions were anything but.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
