IMPRESSIVE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does impressive mean? 

• IMPRESSIVE (adjective)
  The adjective IMPRESSIVE has 2 senses:

1. making a strong or vivid impression

2. producing a strong effect

  Familiarity information: IMPRESSIVE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMPRESSIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Making a strong or vivid impression

Context example:

an impressive ceremony

Similar:

amazing; awe-inspiring; awesome; awful; awing (inspiring awe or admiration or wonder)

thundering (extraordinarily big or impressive)

signal (notably out of the ordinary)

palatial (suitable for or like a palace)

mind-boggling (intellectually or emotionally overwhelming)

grandiose (impressive because of unnecessary largeness or grandeur; used to show disapproval)

brilliant; glorious; magnificent; splendid (characterized by grandeur)

gallant; lofty; majestic; proud (having or displaying great dignity or nobility)

formidable (extremely impressive in strength or excellence)

expansive; grand; heroic (of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope)

dramatic; spectacular; striking (sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect)

dazzling; eye-popping; fulgurant; fulgurous (amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning)

baronial; imposing; noble; stately (impressive in appearance)

astonishing; astounding; staggering; stupefying (so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm)

arresting; sensational; stunning (commanding attention)

Also:

moving (arousing or capable of arousing deep emotion)

Antonym:

unimpressive (not capable of impressing)

Derivation:

impress (have an emotional or cognitive impact upon)

impress (impress positively)

impressiveness (the quality of making a strong or vivid impression on the mind)

impressiveness (splendid or imposing in size or appearance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Producing a strong effect

Synonyms:

impressive; telling

Context example:

a telling gesture

Similar:

effective; effectual; efficacious (producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect)

Derivation:

impress (produce or try to produce a vivid impression of)

impress (have an emotional or cognitive impact upon)

impressiveness (the quality of making a strong or vivid impression on the mind)

 Context examples 

I read, in every word of his plain impressive way of delivering himself, new evidence of his having thought of this one topic, in every feature it presented.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

You’ll be in high demand, and the type of work you’ll be asked to do will allow you to elevate your profile in your industry in an impressive way.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The man who entered was a strange and impressive figure.

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

"Here on Earth, oxygen is a really impressive sign of life," says lead author Clara Sousa-Silva, a research scientist in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences.

(Poisonous Earthly Molecule May Be Sign of Extraterrestrial Life, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The results are impressive, given that the study focused on trans fatty acid bans in restaurants, as opposed to complete bans that included food bought in stores, said senior author Tamar S. Polonsky.

(Trans Fat Bans Lessen Health Risks, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

“Sir,” said my uncle, raising his hat in his most impressive manner, “I am infinitely obliged to you. With the referee’s permission, there is nothing for it but to shift the stakes.”

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"The sense of smell has been understudied in birds, particularly songbirds, because they frequently have such impressive plumage and song variation," says Rice.

(Scent brings songbirds to the yard, National Science Foundation)

“It really is impressive how eps Eri, a much younger version of our solar system, is put together like ours,” said Kate Su of the University of Arizona who led the study.

(New Observation of Nearby Star System Confirms Similarity to Ours, VOA)

Of these death-white realms I formed an idea of my own: shadowy, like all the half-comprehended notions that float dim through children's brains, but strangely impressive.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

“Results without causes are much more impressive. You are ready to come to Birmingham, then?”

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