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

Tuchel said the onus was now on players to impress in the international set-up.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Their limited series / TV movie counterparts Claire Danes, Carey Mulligan and Sarah Pidgeon will also dress to impress.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 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

Shares of Applied Materials fell 5% after the semiconductor-equipment maker reported higher third-quarter net income and increased revenue, but failed to impress investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

My dad even tried to impress him by telling him that my parents had seen Ozzy Osbourne in concert.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Reeves, with the Del-Phis singing backup, filled in for Wells, and Motown was so impressed, the label signed the group to the Gordy label in 1962, sans Williams, who left the group around this time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Allegedly, somewhere out there De Palma’s original three-hour cut exists, one that so impressed Ellroy that he devoted an entire essay to singing its praises called “The Hillikers.”

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

Tishler was impressed by the company, especially a paper on vitamins written by a group of young Merck chemists.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

However, the first of the trio of events has less than impressed.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

I wasn’t impressed by the state you were in when we caught you.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

So while federal agents swept Ole Miss’ building, Jones worked the phones, impressing upon deep-pocketed Mississippians the do-or-die nature of the coming weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 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

But Rockets' bowlers held their nerve late in the innings as Spirit lost five wickets for 42 balls, with spinner Calvin Harrison impressing again with 2-25.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

He won the nomination after impressing his CEA colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

But while they were impressing each other on the road with their tightrope-without-a-safety-net virtuosity, there was another, quite opposite impulse emerging.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

And as two zones the northern heaven restrain, The southern two, and one the hotter midst, With five the Godhead girt th' inclosed earth, And climates five upon its face imprest.

From The Metamorphoses of Publius Ovidus Naso in English blank verse Vols. I & II by J. J. Howard

A heart where dread was never so imprest To hide the thought that might the truth advance; In neither fortune lost, nor yet represt, To swell in wealth, or yield unto mischance.

From Six Centuries of English Poetry Tennyson to Chaucer by James Baldwin

She looked at Bazarov—and stood still in the doorway; so greatly was she imprest by the inflamed and at the same time deathly face, with its dim eyes fastened upon her.

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

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