IMPRESS

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does impress mean? 

• IMPRESS (noun)
  The noun IMPRESS has 1 sense:

1. the act of coercing someone into government service

  Familiarity information: IMPRESS used as a noun is very rare.

• IMPRESS (verb)
  The verb IMPRESS has 7 senses:

1. have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

2. impress positively

3. produce or try to produce a vivid impression of

4. mark or stamp with or as if with pressure

5. reproduce by printing

6. take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship

7. dye (fabric) before it is spun

  Familiarity information: IMPRESS used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMPRESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of coercing someone into government service

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

impress; impressment

Hypernyms ("impress" is a kind of...):

seizure (the taking possession of something by legal process)

Derivation:

impress (take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship)

• IMPRESS (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

affect; impress; move; strike

Context example:

her comments struck a sour note

Cause:

experience; feel (undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind)

Verb group:

actuate; incite; motivate; move; prompt; propel (give an incentive for action)

come to; hit; strike (cause to experience suddenly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "impress"):

cloud (make gloomy or depressed)

strike dumb (render speechless, as by surprising or shocking)

pierce (move or affect (a person's emotions or bodily feelings) deeply or sharply)

impress (impress positively)

sweep away; sweep off (overwhelm emotionally)

disturb; trouble; upset (move deeply)

stir; touch (affect emotionally)

move (arouse sympathy or compassion in)

sadden (make unhappy)

alienate (make withdrawn or isolated or emotionally dissociated)

smite (affect suddenly with deep feeling)

hit home; strike a chord; strike a note; strike home (refer to or be relevant or familiar to)

jar (affect in a disagreeable way)

zap (strike suddenly and with force)

engrave (impress or affect deeply)

awaken (make aware)

impress; ingrain; instill (produce or try to produce a vivid impression of)

surprise (cause to be surprised)

infect (affect in a contagious way)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sentence examples:

The bad news will impress him
The good news will impress her

Derivation:

impressible (easily impressed or influenced)

impressive (producing a strong effect)

impressive (making a strong or vivid impression)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Impress positively

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

The young chess player impressed her audience

Hypernyms (to "impress" is one way to...):

affect; impress; move; strike (have an emotional or cognitive impact upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "impress"):

prepossess (make a positive impression (on someone) beforehand)

wow (impress greatly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to impress Sue

Derivation:

impressive (making a strong or vivid impression)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Produce or try to produce a vivid impression of

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

impress; ingrain; instill

Context example:

Mother tried to ingrain respect for our elders in us

Hypernyms (to "impress" is one way to...):

affect; impress; move; strike (have an emotional or cognitive impact upon)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

impressive (producing a strong effect)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Mark or stamp with or as if with pressure

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

impress; imprint

Context example:

To make a batik, you impress a design with wax

Hypernyms (to "impress" is one way to...):

change surface (undergo or cause to undergo a change in the surface)

"Impress" entails doing...:

press (exert pressure or force to or upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "impress"):

boss; emboss; stamp (raise in a relief)

stamp (to mark, or produce an imprint in or on something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

impression (the act of pressing one thing on or into the surface of another)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Reproduce by printing

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

impress; print

Hypernyms (to "impress" is one way to...):

write (mark or trace on a surface)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "impress"):

letter (set down or print with letters)

set; typeset (set in type)

prove (take a trial impression of)

offset (produce by offset printing)

overprint; print over (print (additional text or colors) onto an already imprinted paper)

cyclostyle (print with an implement with small toothed wheels that cuts small holes in a stencil)

boldface (print in boldface)

italicise; italicize (print in italics)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

impress; shanghai

Context example:

The men were shanghaied after being drugged

Hypernyms (to "impress" is one way to...):

abduct; kidnap; nobble; snatch (take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom)

Domain category:

crime; criminal offence; criminal offense; law-breaking ((criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

impress; impressment (the act of coercing someone into government service)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Dye (fabric) before it is spun

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

impress; yarn-dye

Hypernyms (to "impress" is one way to...):

dye (color with dye)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Knowing his deadly method of fighting, the master had never ceased impressing upon White Fang the law that he must not fight.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

We have seen the agent, who was much impressed with Godalming's kindly manner to him, and we are all satisfied that whatever he can do to aid our wishes will be done.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

And yet as we saw it that autumn morning, it was not its beauty which would be the first thing to impress the observer.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But the circumstance about him which impressed me most, was, that he had no voice, but spoke in a whisper.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother's fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

The force with which they struggled was vividly impressed on me; for I was knocked down by their surging bodies and badly bruised.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Demi also saw the smile, was impressed by it, and artlessy inquired. ..

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

But its colour was what had impressed me most.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Either way, your editor will be impressed with your ideas, approach, and individual style.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Other lessons were impressed upon me even more deeply.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)