INDEX:
1. to impress someone
2. to impress someone very much
3. to feel impressed
4. words for describing someone or something that impresses you
5. to not impress someone
RELATED WORDS
: ↑ GOOD , ↑ ADMIRE , ↑ BEAUTIFUL
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1. to impress someone
▷ impress /ɪmˈpres/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
if someone or something impresses you, they are so interesting, intelligent, original etc that you like or admire them very much :
▪ None of the people I’ve interviewed so far have impressed me.
▪ Quinnell’s fifty-yard run down the touchline with the ball in one hand impressed the Wales coach.
▪ What impressed the judges most was the originality of the dancers’ performance.
impress with
▪ The boy has impressed his doctors with his courage and determination.
▷ make an impression /ˌmeɪk ən ɪmˈpreʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to make someone admire you the first time they see you, so that they like you or approve of you :
▪ When you go for a job interview, you have just a few minutes to make an impression.
▪ Rick looked at the pretty salesgirl and smiled. Sandy could tell that he wanted to make an impression.
make an impression on
▪ George, with his dark hair and blue eyes, made an impression on almost everyone he met.
▷ make a good impression /meɪk ə ˌgʊd ɪmˈpreʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to make someone admire or like you the first time they see you, for example by dressing or behaving in an impressive way :
▪ Everyone was dressed in their best clothes, eager to make a good impression.
make a good impression on/with
▪ It’s pretty important around here to make a good impression with the boss.
▷ come across well/come over well /ˌkʌm əkrɒs ˈwelǁ-əkrɔːs-, ˌkʌm əʊvəʳ ˈwel/ [verb phrase]
to impress the people who are watching or listening to you by seeming intelligent, confident, skilful etc :
▪ It was her first time on TV, but she came across very well.
▪ I thought the play was rather long and slow, and the jokes didn’t really come over well.
2. to impress someone very much
▷ dazzle /ˈdæz ə l/ [transitive verb]
to impress someone very much by being or doing something very exciting and unusual - used especially in news reports :
▪ The Princess’s off-the-shoulder dress dazzled the waiting crowds.
▪ As a speaker he would dazzle listeners with his brilliant wordplay and witty remarks.
▷ knock out /ˌnɒk ˈaʊtǁˌnɑːk-/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to impress someone very much by doing something in a way that is surprisingly good :
▪ If this performer doesn’t knock the audience out, I don’t know what would.
really knock somebody out
▪ Why don’t you start the gig with that song you wrote yourself? That’ll really knock them out.
3. to feel impressed
▷ be impressed /biː ɪmˈprest/ [verb phrase]
▪ It was a superb performance -- even the critics were impressed.
be impressed by/with
▪ All of Lucy’s teachers said that they were impressed with her progress.
▪ I was greatly impressed by the beauty of their art and the richness of their culture.
be impressed (that)
▪ I’m impressed to hear that you’re learning Chinese.
be favourably impressed British be favorably impressed
American be impressed and pleased
▪ UN observers said that they were very favorably impressed by the fairness of the elections.
be suitably/duly impressed
be as impressed as someone wants you to be
▪ The Director read through my report, and looked suitably impressed.
▷ be overawed /biː ˌəʊvərˈɔːd/ [verb phrase]
to be so impressed by a place, an occasion, or a person that you become nervous :
▪ When I first arrived in New York, I was completely overawed.
be overawed by something/somebody
▪ Although Sheila’s parents tried to put Jim at his ease, he still felt overawed by them.
4. words for describing someone or something that impresses you
▷ impressive /ɪmˈpresɪv/ [adjective]
▪ The rich variety of animal life we found was very impressive.
▪ Alan Howard has been impressive in "Henry IV' at the National Theatre.
▪ You can visit the desert as part of an impressive 5-day excursion out of the city.
▪ He gave an impressive performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 3.
▷ imposing /ɪmˈpəʊzɪŋ/ [adjective]
a building or part of a building that is imposing is big and impressive :
▪ An imposing staircase led out of the hall.
▪ The show took place outside the imposing Central Library building on Fifth Avenue.
▪ It’s one of the most distinguished hotels in Italy, grand and imposing.
▷ dazzling /ˈdæzlɪŋ/ [adjective]
impressive, especially because of being extremely skilfully done, having an unusually beautiful appearance etc - used especially in news reports :
▪ During his short but dazzling career he broke almost every scoring record in the National League.
▪ She looked dazzling, with her long blonde hair and diamond earrings.
▷ striking /ˈstraɪkɪŋ/ [adjective]
impressive, especially because of being very unusual to look at :
▪ From the outside, the most striking aspect of the building is its tall, slender tower.
▪ It’s a tall plant with striking red flowers in early spring.
▪ The face in the photograph was striking - good-looking and vivacious.
▷ awe-inspiring /ˈɔː ɪnˌspaɪ ə rɪŋ/ [adjective]
so big and impressive that you feel slightly nervous :
▪ The pyramids at dawn were an awe-inspiring sight.
▪ The canyon was so awe-inspiring that even Dan was speechless.
▷ breathtaking /ˈbreθˌteɪkɪŋ/ [adjective]
very impressive and exciting, especially as a result of great speed, size, or beauty :
▪ The bank’s new on-line service is still growing at a breathtaking pace.
▪ The drive along the beach and up the mountain is truly breathtaking.
▪ The guest house was on the side of the cliff, with breathtaking views of the ocean below.
breathtakingly [adverb]
▪ The courtyard of the huge old building is breathtakingly beautiful.
▷ grand /grænd/ [adjective]
made or done in order to impress people :
▪ The conferences always take place in grand hotels, away from the realities of life.
▪ They always make grand promises to the biggest group of voters.
▷ majestic /məˈdʒestɪk/ [adjective]
very impressive because of being very big and beautiful :
▪ the majestic mountains of the Himalayas
▪ Tintern Abbey is noted for its majestic arches, fine doorways and elegant windows.
▷ spectacular /spekˈtækjɑləʳ/ [adjective]
something such as a view or a performance that is spectacular is very impressive and exciting to look at or watch :
▪ The campground in Emerald Bay State Park has a spectacular setting.
▪ To celebrate independence day, there was a spectacular fireworks display.
5. to not impress someone
▷ not impress/fail to impress /nɒt ɪmˈpres, ˌfeɪl tʊ ɪmˈpres/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
▪ OK, so he went to Yale! That doesn’t impress me!
▪ The defence evidence didn’t impress the judge, and he sentenced Wright to 3 years in jail.
▪ I tried making a joke but it failed to impress anyone.
▷ unimpressive /ˌʌnɪmˈpresɪv◂/ [adjective]
not good enough to impress anyone :
▪ Marie’s performance in the last exam was unimpressive.
▪ When you think how much has been spent on research, the results are sadly unimpressive.
▪ The best the team could come up with was an unimpressive 1-1 tie.