Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A mark or indentation made by pressure; the figure or image of anything imparted by pressure, or as if by pressure; stamp; impression; hence, any distinguishing form or character.
  • noun Semblance; appearance.
  • noun Impressment.
  • To press upon or against; stamp in; mark by pressure; make an impression upon.
  • Hence To affect forcibly, as the mind or some one of its faculties; produce a mental effect upon: as, to impress the memory or imagination; the matter impressed him favorably.
  • To produce or fix by pressure, or as if by pressure; make an impression of; imprint, literally or figuratively: as, to impress figures on coins or plate; to impress an image on the memory.
  • Hence To stamp deeply on the mind; fix by inculcation.
  • To be stamped or impressed; fix itself.
  • noun See imprese.
  • In electricity, to apply electromotive force to (a circuit) from some outside source or to create difference of potential in (a conductor).
  • To compel to enter into public service, as seamen; take into service by compulsion, as nurses during an epidemic.
  • To seize; take for public use: as, to impress provisions.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb obsolete To be impressed; to rest.
  • transitive verb To press, stamp, or print something in or upon; to mark by pressure, or as by pressure; to imprint (that which bears the impression).
  • transitive verb To produce by pressure, as a mark, stamp, image, etc.; to imprint (a mark or figure upon something).
  • transitive verb To fix deeply in the mind; to present forcibly to the attention, etc.; to imprint; to inculcate.
  • transitive verb To take by force for public service.
  • noun The act of impressing or making.
  • noun A mark made by pressure; an indentation; imprint; the image or figure of anything, formed by pressure or as if by pressure; result produced by pressure or influence.
  • noun Characteristic; mark of distinction; stamp.
  • noun A device. See Impresa.
  • noun The act of impressing, or taking by force for the public service; compulsion to serve; also, that which is impressed.
  • noun a party of men, with an officer, employed to impress seamen for ships of war; a press gang.
  • noun a sum of money paid, immediately upon their entering service, to men who have been impressed.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To affect (someone) strongly and often favourably
  • verb intransitive To make an impression, to be impressive.
  • verb transitive To produce a vivid impression of (something)
  • verb transitive To mark or stamp (something) using pressure
  • verb transitive To compel (someone) to serve in a military force
  • verb transitive To seize or confiscate (property) by force
  • noun The act of impressing
  • noun An impression, and impressed image or copy of something
  • noun A stamp or seal used to make an impression
  • noun An impression on the mind, imagination etc.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb dye (fabric) before it is spun
  • verb produce or try to produce a vivid impression of
  • verb take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship
  • verb mark or stamp with or as if with pressure
  • verb have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
  • verb impress positively
  • noun the act of coercing someone into government service
  • verb reproduce by printing

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English impressen, from Latin impressus, perfect passive participle of imprimere ("to press into or upon, stick, stamp, or dig into"), from in ("in, upon") + premere ("to press").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word impress.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.