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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

Set in one tatty motel room in 1967 Detroit, “Voices” is a vicious flick about rising two soul acts hellbent on getting on stage that night to impress Motown Records’ Barry Gordy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Back-to-back quarters of standout profits have raised expectations and made it especially difficult to impress traders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

"In the 1840 narrative, Byfield sought to impress wealthy patrons by presenting himself as a dutiful soldier and deserving veteran," O'Keeffe says.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

“Would it impress you at all if I told you I totally did that?”

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Having impressed in the foursomes and fourballs, Spain's Julia Lopez Ramirez and France's Nastasia Nadaud once again demonstrated their suitability for the biggest of stages.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Variety magazine was also impressed by his stage presence, external, writing: "Styles is a one-in-millions performer, with a hurricane-force charm that's dashing and sexy and goofy at the same time."

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Oracle impressed Wall Street with its remaining performance obligations, or the value of signed contracts not yet converted to revenue.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

I’ve been pondering AI since its transformative nature was fully impressed on my consciousness years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Mother and Monty shared a look, impressed by her reasoning.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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

Buddhas float overhead like a divine ideal but also weigh down on their visitors, impressing on us the difficulty of ever reaching enlightenment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

After impressing on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf, where he scored 24 goals in Germany's second tier, he joined Club Brugge in 2024 and quickly established himself as one of Belgium's most productive attacking players.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

He won the nomination after impressing his CEA colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

These are the qualities we admire in things that have style, for style has a way of impressing itself upon us even if we do not know what particular kind of style is involved.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

His version is this:— "Enough for me, if to some feeling breast, My lines a secret sympathy convey; And as their pleasing influence is imprest, A sigh of soft reflection heave for Gray."

From Notes and Queries, Number 26, April 27, 1850 by Various

I welcome thy spray As the prairie-bound hunter The dawning of day; No shackles have bound thee, No tyrant imprest The mark of the Pale face On torrent and crest.

From Indian Legends and Other Poems by Mary Gardiner Horsford

And as two zones the northern heaven restrain, The southern two, and one the hotter midst, With five the Godhead girt th' inclosed earth, And climates five upon its face imprest.

From The Metamorphoses of Publius Ovidus Naso in English blank verse Vols. I & II by J. J. Howard

I know of no other use of the word "imprest" as a substantive; and though we see "debenture" often enough in railway reports, I cannot perceive the analogy between its meanings in the two cases.

From Notes and Queries, Number 33, June 15, 1850 by Various

If I had been going into a real engagement I could not have been more deeply imprest by the importance of the occasion.

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

Related Words

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