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.
Because these mantises are large and visually impressive, many people see them as a welcome sight rather than a possible ecological problem.
From Science Daily • Jul. 11, 2026
Norway may have been touted by many as this World Cup's dark horse but their impressive progress still feels like they have exceeded expectations.
From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026
I don’t know if the result is the Stones’ best since 1978’s “Some Girls,” but it’s definitely the funniest, which is actually the more impressive achievement.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
In their draw against Cape Verde and four wins since they have not conceded a goal, thanks largely to the impressive centre-back partnership of teenager Pau Cubarsi and veteran Aymeric Laporte.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
She busied herself by shelling pea pods with impressive speed.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
