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.
However, one of the property’s most impressive features is an enormous 5,300-square-foot barn.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
These culminate in on-site “superdays” where evaluators gauge whether candidates are as impressive in person as they seemed on-screen—and don’t have access to AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was spectacular during the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series run, and his performance against the Atlanta Braves was equally impressive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
A back three that has looked impressive was hassled to distraction, calm replaced with confusion.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
And even more impressive is how insanely good he is with his instrument.
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.
