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.
But with coal still the leading source of power generation, Turkey is under pressure to pair its impressive renewables growth with a definitive shift away from fossil fuels.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
When you launch a sports program at the high school level and find a way to reach a Southern Section championship game in your inaugural season, that’s impressive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
But Mr. Wright argues that China’s impressive advances in areas such as electric vehicles, robotics and artificial intelligence can only take it so far.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
As one of the most successful rappers in the world, Drake has developed an impressive real estate portfolio throughout his career.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
The technology of long-distance calls is getting more impressive every day, but there is still no way to telephone someone across an ocean.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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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.
