Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

make an impression

Idioms  
  1. Produce a strong effect on one. This phrase is often qualified with an adjective such as good, bad, strong, or the like. For example, He tried to make a good impression on his girlfriend's parents, or Be careful or you'll make a bad impression on the jury, or You made quite an impression with that speech. [Mid-1600s]


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.

See Examples For:

Moises Caicedo and the rest of the Ecuador team will be hoping to make an impression at this summer's tournament.

From BBC Apr. 22, 2026

“It’s our first time here, it’s a much bigger audience, so we want to make an impression and prove that Filipinos deserve to be on that stage.”

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 9, 2026

So for Super Bowl LX, the fake-brain industry is working to make an impression on our real brains by turning to the cryptocurrency bubble’s onetime game plan—and bringing in all your favorite celebrities.

From Slate Feb. 8, 2026

In terms of arrangements and production, “Goon” was much more varied, probably because it had to be—Mr. Jesso was unknown, and needed to make an impression.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 25, 2025

Sandi could tell he wanted to make an impression.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training