What does "impress" mean?
The act of impressing.
Impress
/ɪmˈpɹɛs/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of impressing.
- Grammar: impress is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: imprint, print, abduce, abduct.
- Useful contrasts: unimpressed, bore, disappoint.
- Usage evidence: In business today, too many executives spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't even like.
How to use "impress"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "impress" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "impress" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "impress" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "impress" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "impress" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "imprint" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "impress", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of impressing.
- 2 the act of coercing someone into government service wordnet
- 3 An impression; an impressed image or copy of something.
"This weak impress of love is as a figure / Trenched in ice."
- 4 A stamp or seal used to make an impression.
- 5 An impression on the mind, imagination etc.
"Such admonitions, in the English of the Authorized Version, left an indelible impress on imaginations nurtured on the Bible […]"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Characteristic; mark of distinction; stamp.
"we have God surveying the works of the creation, and leaving this general impress or character upon them"
- 7 A heraldic device; an impresa.
"It commonly occurred that Knights who , on entering the Lists , wished to conceal their identity , would assume a Device with an allusive Motto , which was designated an IMPRESS"
- 8 The act of impressing, or taking by force for the public service; compulsion to serve; also, that which is impressed.
"Why such impress of shipwrights?"
Verb
- 1 To affect (someone) strongly and often favourably. transitive
"You impressed me with your command of Urdu."
- 2 dye (fabric) before it is spun wordnet
- 3 To make an impression, to be impressive. intransitive
"Henderson impressed in his first game as captain."
- 4 produce or try to produce a vivid impression of wordnet
- 5 To produce a vivid impression of (something). transitive
"That first view of the Eiger impressed itself on my mind."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 take (someone) against their will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship wordnet
- 7 To mark or stamp (something) using pressure. transitive
"We impressed our footprints in the wet cement."
- 8 mark or stamp with or as if with pressure wordnet
- 9 To produce (a mark, stamp, image, etc.); to imprint (a mark or figure upon something).
- 10 reproduce by printing wordnet
- 11 To fix deeply in the mind; to present forcibly to the attention, etc.; to imprint; to inculcate. figuratively
"impress the motives and methods of persuasion upon our own hearts, till we feel the force and power of them."
- 12 have an emotional or cognitive impact upon wordnet
- 13 To compel (someone) to serve in a military force. transitive
"The press gang used to impress people into the Navy."
- 14 impress positively wordnet
- 15 To seize or confiscate (property) by force. transitive
"The liner was impressed as a troop carrier."
Antonyms
Example
"In business today, too many executives spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't even like."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "impress"?
Common synonyms include: imprint, print, abduce, abduct, affect, affect.
How do you use "impress" in a sentence?
In business today, too many executives spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't even like.
How do you pronounce "impress"?
Pronounced /ɪmˈpɹɛs/.
Etymology
From Middle English impressen, from Latin impressus, perfect passive participle of imprimere (“to press into or upon, stick, stamp, or dig into”), from in (“in, upon”) + premere (“to press”).