impress

To make someone admire you or think that something is very good.

• Your work impressed me.
• She tried to impress her new boss.
• Were you impressed by the performance?

How to use it: impress someone with something (She impressed us with her knowledge.); be impressed by/with something (I was impressed by his kindness.)

Opposites: disappoint

Common phrases: impress someone, impress with something, impress the judges, impress an audience

To make someone clearly understand how important something is.

• They impressed the rules on us.
• The teacher impressed upon us the importance of practice.
• I must impress on you that this is urgent.

How to use it: impress something on/upon someone (He impressed the need for caution upon us.); impress on someone that… (She impressed on me that we must arrive early.)

Similar words: emphasize, stress

Common phrases: impress upon someone, impress on someone

To make a mark or shape on a surface by pressing something against it.

• She impressed a stamp into the wax.
• The artist impressed patterns on the soft clay.
• Their shoes impressed deep marks into the mud.

How to use it: impress something into/on something (She impressed a leaf pattern into the clay.)

Similar words: stamp, imprint

Common phrases: impress a pattern, impress into something, impress on something, impress a seal