impressive
/ɪmˈpres.ɪv/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Very good, large, or skillful in a way that makes people admire it. It often describes something that is stronger or more striking than ordinary good.
- That was an impressive speech.
- She made impressive progress this year.
- The building looks impressive at night.
Adinary Nuance
Impressive is stronger than good, nice, or successful. It suggests that something stands out and makes people notice it. For people, it can mean they show great skill, confidence, or ability. For things, it often means big, elegant, or well done.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- ấn tượng
- Spanish
- impresionante
- Chinese
- 令人印象深刻
- Japanese
- 印象的な
- Korean
- 인상적인
Etymology
Impressive comes from the verb impress, with the suffix -ive. It has been used in English since the 1800s to mean 'able to make an effect on others.'
Common phrases
an impressive resultan impressive recordmake an impressive impressionan impressive achievement
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is impressive formal or informal?
- It is neutral. You can use it in everyday speech, school writing, and business writing.
- What is the difference between impressive and good?
- Good only means positive. Impressive means positive and strong enough to make people notice.
- Can I use impressive for a person?
- Yes. It often describes someone's skills, confidence, or achievements.
- Is impressive common in academic writing?
- Yes, but use it when you want to show strong praise, not just basic approval.