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.
“Our teams are executing at a high level across the organization, driving impressive performance from our protein-centric portfolio,” Hormel President John Ghingo said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Colbert ended his CBS tenure at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Thursday evening, joined by an impressive roster of celebrity guests including Paul Rudd, Bryan Cranston, Tim Meadows, Ryan Reynolds and Paul McCartney.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
She was backed up by England's impressive spin attack, who stifled New Zealand's ability to rotate the strike which curtailed the scoring and prompted some loose shots in search of boundaries.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Tesla’s unveiling of an impressive third generation of its Optimus humanoid robot could also please investors.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
As Amy returned from her last trip, Mr. Davis gave a portentous “Hem!” and said, in his most impressive manner...
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
