impress

The word “impress” means to have a strong, often admiring, effect on someone. In plain terms, to make someone admire you, or to firmly plant an idea in someone's mind.

“Impress” is pronounced ihm-PREHS (/ɪmˈpɹɛs/ in IPA).

Here is “impress” used in a sentence: “Her confidence in the interview really impressed the panel.”

Words with a similar meaning to “impress” include make an impression on, confiscate, impound, seize and sequester.

“Impress” is a verb.

The word “impress” comes from Latin. From Middle English impressen, from Latin imprimere ("to press into or upon"), from in- + premere ("to press").

“Impress” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Impress” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to have a strong, often admiring, effect on someone.

To impress someone is to make them feel admiration, often for a skill or achievement. To inspire someone is to fill them with the urge to act or feel something themselves, so you can impress a person without inspiring them.

Impressing someone affects how they feel about you, usually creating admiration, while influencing someone affects what they think or do. Influence tends to change behaviour, whereas impressing mainly changes opinion.

When 'impress' means to affect someone admiringly, it is used directly with an object, as in 'she impressed the judges'. When it means to emphasise, it takes 'on' or 'upon', as in 'impress the rules on them'.