impressionist
Americannoun
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a person who follows or adheres to the theories, methods, and practices of impressionism, especially in the fields of painting, music, or literature.
-
an entertainer who does impressions.
adjective
noun
-
(usually capital) any of the French painters of the late 19th century who were exponents of impressionism
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(sometimes capital) any artist, composer, or writer who uses impressionism
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an entertainer who impersonates famous people
adjective
Other Word Forms
- impressionistic adjective
- impressionistically adverb
- nonimpressionistic adjective
- semi-impressionistic adjective
Etymology
Origin of impressionist
From the French word impressionniste, dating back to 1875–80. See impression, -ist
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.
British paintings with repeat sales posted the best mean return of 3.4%, followed by impressionist works with 3.1%.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
Michelle Burt, an expressive impressionist artist based in Laguna Beach, stands in her booth.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025
He spent the better part of a decade in the impressionist and modern-art department before moving to work under Tobias Meyer, then Sotheby’s worldwide head of contemporary art and principal auctioneer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025
The impressionist wears a bespoke hairpiece created by wig designers, which is regularly re-styled by a hairdresser.
From BBC • Nov. 24, 2024
From the employee side of the window, the outside world looked fluid, all the people on the other side wavy, like an impressionist watercolor.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
