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.
When out wide, Pulisic was able to showcase impressive one-against-one dribbling throughout the match too.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
This volume, the fourth of a planned five, contains 606 letters written between 1937 and 1946 to friends, family, publishers and an impressive number of collectors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
Aina Abdul is perhaps the most famous singer in Malaysia, known as much for dramatic costumes as her impressive vocal range.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
As impressive as any coffee-table book, this photo album is made of Italian marbled paper and sold in mottled tones like emerald green and coral pink.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
During the mid-1800s, an impressive six-story, snow-colored resort called the Greenbrier Hotel was built at the springs.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
