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Definition of impress verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

impress

verb
 
/ɪmˈpres/
 
/ɪmˈpres/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they impress
 
/ɪmˈpres/
 
/ɪmˈpres/
he / she / it impresses
 
/ɪmˈpresɪz/
 
/ɪmˈpresɪz/
past simple impressed
 
/ɪmˈprest/
 
/ɪmˈprest/
past participle impressed
 
/ɪmˈprest/
 
/ɪmˈprest/
-ing form impressing
 
/ɪmˈpresɪŋ/
 
/ɪmˈpresɪŋ/
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  1. [transitive, intransitive] if a person or thing impresses you, you admire them or it
    • impress (somebody) We interviewed a number of candidates but none of them impressed us.
    • The Grand Canyon never fails to impress people.
    • The Grand Canyon never fails to impress.
    • His sincerity impressed her.
    • impress somebody with something He impressed her with his sincerity.
    • it impresses somebody that… It impressed me that she remembered my name.
    see also impressed, impressive
    Extra Examples
    • I was young and easily impressed.
    • This game is his big chance to impress.
    • She impressed us with both the depth and range of her knowledge.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • really
    verb + impress
    • be determined to
    • be keen to
    • hope to
    preposition
    • with
    phrases
    • an attempt to impress somebody
    • an effort to impress somebody
    • be easily impressed
    See full entry
  2. [transitive] impress something on/upon somebody (formal) to make somebody understand how important, serious, etc. something is by emphasizing it
    • He impressed on us the need for immediate action.
    • Their responsibilities are impressed on them during training.
  3. [transitive] impress something/itself on/upon something (formal) to have a great effect on something, especially somebody’s mind, imagination, etc.
    • Her words impressed themselves on my memory.
  4. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘apply with pressure’): from Old French empresser, from em- ‘in’ + presser ‘to press’, influenced by Latin imprimere, from in- ‘into’ + premere ‘to press’. Sense (1) dates from the mid 18th cent.
See impress in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee impress in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
perspective
noun
 
 
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