impress

¹ American  

[im-pres, im-pres] / ɪmˈprɛs, ˈɪm prɛs /

verb (used with object)

impressed, imprest, impressing

1. to affect deeply or strongly in mind or feelings; influence in opinion.

   He impressed us as a sincere young man.

   Synonyms:

   sway, persuade, move, inspire, touch, stir, affect

2. to fix deeply or firmly on the mind or memory, as ideas or facts.

   to impress the importance of honesty on a child.

3. to urge, as something to be remembered or done.

   She impressed the need for action on them.

4. to press (a thing) into or on something.

5. to impose a particular characteristic or quality upon (something).

   The painter impressed his love of garish colors upon the landscape.

6. to produce (a mark, figure, etc.) by pressure; stamp; imprint.

   The king impressed his seal on the melted wax.

7. to apply with pressure, so as to leave a mark.

8. to subject to or mark by pressure with something.

9. to furnish with a mark, figure, etc., by or as if by stamping.

10. Electricity. to produce (a voltage) or cause (a voltage) to appear or be produced on a conductor, circuit, etc.

---

verb (used without object)

impressed, imprest, impressing

1. to create a favorable impression; draw attention to oneself.

   a child's behavior intended to impress.

noun

1. the act of impressing.

2. a mark made by or as by pressure; stamp; imprint.

3. a distinctive character or effect imparted.

   writings that bear the impress of a strong personality.

impress ² American  

[im-pres, im-pres] / ɪmˈprɛs, ˈɪm prɛs /

verb (used with object)

impressed, imprest, impressing

1. to press or force into public service, as sailors.

2. to seize or take for public use.

3. to take or persuade into service by forceful arguments.

   The neighbors were impressed into helping the family move.

---

noun

1. impressment.

impress ¹ British  

verb

1. to make an impression on; have a strong, lasting, or favourable effect on

   I am impressed by your work

2. to produce (an imprint, etc) by pressure in or on (something)

   to impress a seal in wax

   to impress wax with a seal

3. (often foll by on) to stress (something to a person); urge; emphasize

   to impress the danger of a situation on someone

4. to exert pressure on; press

5. electronics to apply (a voltage) to a circuit or device

---

noun

1. the act or an instance of impressing

2. a mark, imprint, or effect produced by impressing

impress ² British  

verb

1. to commandeer or coerce (men or things) into government service; press-gang

---

noun

1. the act of commandeering or coercing into government service; impressment

Other Word Forms

• impresser
  noun
• impressible
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of impress¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin impressus, past participle of imprimere “to press into or upon, impress,” equivalent to im- “in” + pressus, past participle of premere (combining form -primere ) “to press”; see im- ¹, press ¹, print

Origin of impress²

First recorded in 1590–1600; im- ¹ + press ²

Explanation

Think of the verb impress as "leaving a mark." You might impress a print onto canvas, or you might impress prospective employers in a job interview. Whether that impression will be good or bad is up to you! The past participle of the Latin verb imprimere, "to press," is impressus, which evolved in the 14th century to the meaning "to make a permanent image." The word then came to be used figuratively, as when your parents impress upon you the importance of being honest or when you impress the judges at a diving competition. Impress can also mean to conscript someone into the army.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

impress impressed impressing imprest

But it’s still possible to impress skeptical investors and flip a negative narrative.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

Replacing doors on the inside can also help impress potential buyers, Perry said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

But they’ve got another bone to pick with Holden Caulfield: He is being used as a prop by performative men to impress those around him.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

Los Angeles-based Alo, one of Lululemon’s chief rivals in the West, has gained buzz on the Chinese internet as some travelers purchased its apparel abroad to impress friends back home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

He didn’t care for this man’s good opinion, and he resented her attempt to impress him.

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty

AvaTrade’s Friedman said Monday’s action was coming at a hot time for the chip trade after Sandisk impressed investors with its financial targets at its investor day last week.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

The wickets were shared in a fine all-round bowling effort by the Rockets as Adams finished with miserly figures of 2-9 and Phillips, the 23-year-old domestic seamer, impressed with 2-12.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

In 2018, Schmidt visited Amodei and Clark’s apartment in San Francisco and was impressed with their ideas, Schmidt told Bloomberg.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Applied Materials reports better-than-expected earnings for its fiscal third quarter, but investors aren’t impressed.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

If it weren’t for the fact that it was her theater they had overrun, she might have even been impressed.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

As the company achieves notable growth — sales more than doubled in the latest quarter — it’s also impressing Wall Street with its profit performance.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

But Rockets' bowlers held their nerve late in the innings as Spirit lost five wickets for 42 balls, with spinner Calvin Harrison impressing again with 2-25.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

He won the nomination after impressing his CEA colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

But from the World Cup warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rice, things started to look different - with Bellingham impressing.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

I mean, seriously, if he’s so dead set on impressing Abby, maybe he should stop being so twitchy and awkward and annoying all the time.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Readers are imprest by the perfect ease and mastery with which a great variety of subjects are dealt with, his story "advancing with epic grandeur to its close."

From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to prose. Volume I (of X) - Greece by Francis W. (Francis Whiting) Halsey

Nicholas.—We have disposed of our brother, his Prussian Majesty, who appeared to be imprest by the apprehension that a portion of his dominions was in jeopardy.

From The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, August, 1851 by Various

She looked at Bazarov—and stood still in the doorway; so greatly was she imprest by the inflamed and at the same time deathly face, with its dim eyes fastened upon her.

From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. VIII (of X) - Continental Europe II. by Henry Cabot Lodge

The storied arras, source of fond delight, With old achievement charms the wilder'd sight; And still, with Heraldry's rich hues imprest, On the dim window glows the pictur'd crest.

From Poems by Samuel Rogers

Our young man, however, did not seem to be imprest either with this spectacle of destruction or with the beauty of the sky, tinged with the rosy colors of the dawning day.

From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. VIII (of X) - Continental Europe II. by Henry Cabot Lodge

Related Words

• affect
• awe
• excite
• faze
• inspire
• sway
• thrill
• touch