Impress Meaning
/ɪmˈpɹɛs/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo affect (someone) strongly and often favourably.
verbTo make an impression, to be impressive.
Sentence Examples
How does America impress you?
Parents try to impress upon their children the importance of honesty and hard work.
Tom seems to be trying to impress the new manager.
CEFR Practice Quiz
To win the competition, she wanted to ____ the judges with her outstanding performance.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She worked very hard on her final presentation because she really wanted to ____ her new boss.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Proto-Indo-European *per-? Proto-Indo-European *pres-der. Proto-Italic *pres- Latin premō Latin imprimō Latin impressusder. Middle English impressen English impress 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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Mr. Campion appeared suitably impressed and she warmed to him. He was very easy to talk to with those long clown lines in his pale face, a natural goon, born rather too early she suspected."
— 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
"Okay, so you're a rocket scientist / That don't impress me much"
— 1998, “That Don't Impress Me Much”, in Come On Over, performed by Shania Twain:
"Manchester United's Tom Cleverley impressed on his first competitive start and Lampard demonstrated his continued worth at international level in a performance that was little more than a stroll once England swiftly exerted their obvious authority."
— 2012 September 7, Phil McNulty, “Moldova 0-5 England”, in BBC Sport:
"impress the motives and methods of persuasion upon our own hearts, till we feel the force and power of them."
— 1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLC:
"the second £5,000 imprest for the service of the sick and wounded prisoners"
— 1665 April 28 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 19 April 1665]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
To win the competition, she wanted to ____ the judges with her outstanding performance.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She worked very hard on her final presentation because she really wanted to ____ her new boss.