impressive

impressive — adjective

1. When a thing, place, or result is impressive, it catches your attention and make

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

When a thing, place, or result is impressive, it catches your attention and makes you feel admiration, usually because of its size, the skill needed to create it, or the effort behind it.

Example

Feng's city built an impressive new stadium that holds over sixty thousand people.

impressive + noun describing a physical structure

Ayesha showed us an impressive collection of ancient coins her grandfather gathered over fifty years.

impressive + collection — object built over time

Common collocations
  • impressive achievement
  • impressive view
  • impressive collection
  • impressive performance
  • truly impressive
  • highly impressive
  • most impressive
  • particularly impressive
Synonyms
  • striking

    focuses on how something stands out visually or noticeably, often more sudden than impressive

  • remarkable

    emphasises unusualness or surprise rather than size or skill

  • majestic

    suggests grand beauty, especially of landscapes or buildings; more formal and poetic

  • awe-inspiring

    stronger than impressive — suggests feelings of wonder mixed with respect; less common in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • unimpressive

    the direct negative; not causing admiration

  • mediocre

    suggests average or poor quality rather than merely not striking

Grammar Patterns

impressive + noun

be + impressive

truly/highly/very + impressive

more/most + impressive

Usage Note

Gradable: you can say very impressive, more impressive, or the most impressive. Common intensifiers are truly, highly, deeply, and particularly.

Common Mistakes

That film was very impressive me.
That film was very impressive to me.
impressive does not take a direct object; use a preposition (to) after it.
He impressive everyone with his talk.
He impressed everyone with his talk.
the verb is impress, not impressive.

2. When a person is impressive, they have such a high level of skill, knowledge, or

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

When a person is impressive, they have such a high level of skill, knowledge, or talent that you feel respect or admiration for them.

Example

Roya is an impressive young lawyer who has won five difficult cases this year.

impressive describing a professional role

What makes Léa impressive is her ability to stay calm during stressful situations.

What makes + person + impressive — asking about the reason

Common collocations
  • impressive speaker
  • impressive track record
  • impressive achievement
  • find someone impressive
  • impressive in one's field
Synonyms
  • admirable

    focuses on moral approval and worth — you admire the person's character, not just their skill

  • outstanding

    suggests the person is among the best; stronger than impressive

  • talented

    narrower — refers specifically to natural ability rather than overall impression

Antonyms
  • unimpressive

    the direct antonym; not causing admiration for skills

  • ordinary

    suggests no special skill that would attract notice

Grammar Patterns

find + someone + impressive

what makes + someone + impressive

someone + be + impressive

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 applies to objects, places, and achievements; sense 2 applies to people and their abilities. A common structure is find + person + impressive (I find her impressive).

Common Mistakes

She is impressive of her work.
She is impressive in her work.' or 'Her work is impressive.
impressive is not followed by of; use in or rephrase the sentence.
He is a very impressive.
He is very impressive.
no article before impressive when used alone after be.

Word family

  • impress
    verbB1
  • impression
    nounB1
  • impressively
    adverbB2
  • unimpressive
    adjectiveB2
  • unimpressed
    adjectiveB2
  • impressionable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that gets your attention, but they differ in tone and scope. Striking focuses on visual or immediate impact — a striking dress or a striking contrast. Remarkable emphasises unusualness or surprise; something remarkable is worth talking about because it is out of the ordinary. Majestic is reserved for things with grand, dignified beauty — a majestic mountain range or a majestic cathedral — and sounds more formal or literary. Awe-inspiring is the strongest of the group; it mixes admiration with a sense of wonder that can almost feel overwhelming, such as an awe-inspiring view of the night sky. For everyday situations, impressive is the most versatile and neutral choice. Example: 'The view from the tower was impressive, but the sunset over the ocean was truly awe-inspiring.'

striking ↗remarkable ↗majesticawe-inspiring

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • find someone impressive
  • what makes someone impressive
  • more impressive than
  • the most impressive part

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Impressive comes from the Latin word impressus, the past participle of imprimere, meaning 'to press into or upon'. The root combines in- ('into') and premere ('to press'). English first used impress in the physical sense of pressing or stamping an image onto a surface. Over time, the meaning shifted from making a physical mark to making a strong mental or emotional mark — something that 'presses itself' into your mind.