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

See Examples For:

make an impression

Walker, a 65-year-old London consultant, said she had yet to "make an impression" of the former mayor of Greater Manchester, who was parachuted into the top office by the Labour Party.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

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

Yet it is always the thin gray grocery sums that make an impression.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• affect
• disturb
• excite
• grab
• impress
• influence
• inspire
• mark
• move
• stir
• strike
• stroke
• upset