Meaning & use
impressive
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Causing admiration because of great skill, size, quality, or success.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after linking verbs like 'be', 'look', 'seem'.
Patterns
- impressive + noun
- look impressive
- be impressive to someone
She gave an impressive performance on the piano.
The new bridge is an impressive piece of engineering.
His knowledge of history is really impressive.
adjectivecomparable
Making a strong visual or emotional impact, often because of large size or dramatic appearance.
Grammar: Often describes buildings, scenery, or displays.
Patterns
- an impressive building
- an impressive sight
- impressive to look at
The cathedral is impressive from the outside.
They put on an impressive fireworks display.
Word forms
| comparative | more impressive |
|---|---|
| superlative | most impressive |
Common combinations
- impressive performance
- The team gave an impressive performance in the final.
- impressive collection
- He owns an impressive collection of vintage cars.
- look impressive
- The new stadium looks impressive at night.
- impressive achievement
- Winning the prize was an impressive achievement for such a young scientist.
- technically impressive
- The film is technically impressive but the story is weak.
Synonyms and how they differ
- striking
- Focuses on standing out and catching the eye; 'impressive' is more about admiration for quality or scale.
- remarkable
- Suggests something unusual enough to be noticed and talked about; 'impressive' is broader.
- awe-inspiring
- Much stronger, suggesting wonder or fear; use for truly extraordinary things.
Opposites
Word family
- impress verb
- To make someone admire you or to fix an idea in their mind.
- impression noun
- An idea or feeling you get about someone or something.
- impressively adverb
- In a way that causes admiration.
- impressiveness noun
- The quality of being impressive.
Commonly confused: impressive or impressionable? impressive or impressed?
impressive vs impressionable
Means easily influenced, especially of young people. 'Impressive' means causing admiration.
impressive vs impressed
Describes how you feel when something impresses you: 'I was impressed by her speech.' Use 'impressive' for the thing that causes that feeling.
Practice
Her speech was so ______ that everyone stood up to clap.
Choose one answer.
After 'was so' we need an adjective describing the speech: 'impressive'. 'Impressed' describes a person's feeling, not the thing; 'impression' is a noun; 'impressively' is an adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “impressive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.