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.
Lee declares, “We are not yet cautious as we see impressive market resilience while oil and rates are near highs.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
For all the bad publicity directed frequently at the Los Angeles Unified School District and City Section schools, let’s point out an impressive statistic from the opening week of the high school football season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
His trickery and creativity was on display throughout against Fulham, along with an impressive work-rate.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
But in the case of “It Ends,” the unconventional path to the silver screen is especially impressive.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
He was white, with an impressive gray mustache that wrapped around his face to make a curious sort of beard.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
