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impress

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." That meaning included a figurative meaning of "to impress upon the mind or heart." Impress also mean conscription into the military, or taking people to serve against their will — in other words, the draft. You tried to impress your new friend by carrying her groceries, and the sight of her vegetables all over the sidewalk certainly left an impression.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: impress

1
 vn
have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
the act of coercing someone into government service
2
 v
reproduce by printing
3
 v
take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship
4
 v
dye (fabric) before it is spun
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: impress
1

v have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

“This child impressed me as unusually mature”
Synonyms:
affect, move, strike
actuate, incite, motivate, move, prompt, propel
give an incentive for action
come to, hit, strike
cause to experience suddenly
Types:
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infect
affect in a contagious way
surprise
cause to be surprised
ingrain, instill
produce or try to produce a vivid impression of
awaken
make aware
engrave
impress or affect deeply
strike dumb
render speechless, as by surprising or shocking
zap
strike suddenly and with force
jar
affect in a disagreeable way
hit home, strike a chord, strike a note, strike home
refer to or be relevant or familiar to
smite
affect suddenly with deep feeling
cloud
make gloomy or depressed
pierce
move or affect (a person's emotions or bodily feelings) deeply or sharply
sweep away, sweep off
overwhelm emotionally
disturb, trouble, upset
move deeply
stir, touch
affect emotionally
move
arouse sympathy or compassion in
sadden
make unhappy
alienate
make withdrawn or isolated or emotionally dissociated
amaze, astonish, astound
affect with wonder
explode a bombshell
utter or do something surprising
catch
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
boggle, bowl over, flabbergast
overcome with amazement
agitate, charge, charge up, commove, excite, rouse, turn on
cause to be agitated, excited, or roused
jolt
disturb (someone's) composure
cark, disorder, disquiet, distract, perturb, trouble, unhinge
disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
prepossess
make a positive impression (on someone) beforehand
wow
impress greatly
get
evoke an emotional response
distress
cause mental pain to
ball over, blow out of the water, floor, shock, take aback
surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off
weigh down, weigh on
be oppressive or disheartening to

v produce or try to produce a vivid impression of

Synonyms:
ingrain, instill
Type of:
affect, move, strike
have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

v impress positively

“The young chess player impressed her audience”
Types:
prepossess
make a positive impression (on someone) beforehand
wow
impress greatly
Type of:
affect, move, strike
have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

n the act of coercing someone into government service

Synonyms:
impressment
Type of:
seizure
the taking possession of something by legal process
2

v reproduce by printing

Synonyms:
print
Types:
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letter
set down or print with letters
set, typeset
set in type
prove
take a trial impression of
offset
produce by offset printing
overprint, print over
print (additional text or colors) onto an already imprinted paper
cyclostyle
print with an implement with small toothed wheels that cuts small holes in a stencil
boldface
print in boldface
italicise, italicize
print in italics
surcharge
print a new denomination on a stamp or a banknote
Type of:
write
mark or trace on a surface

v mark or stamp with or as if with pressure

“To make a batik, you impress a design with wax”
Synonyms:
imprint
Types:
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stamp
to mark, or produce an imprint in or on something
boss, emboss, stamp
raise in a relief
date, date stamp
stamp with a date
handstamp, rubberstamp
stamp with a rubber stamp, usually an indication of official approval on a document
frank, postmark
stamp with a postmark to indicate date and time of mailing
block
stamp or emboss a title or design on a book with a block
Type of:
change surface
undergo or cause to undergo a change in the surface
3

v take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship

Synonyms:
shanghai
Type of:
abduct, kidnap, nobble, snatch
take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom
4

v dye (fabric) before it is spun

Synonyms:
yarn-dye
Type of:
dye
color with dye
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