impression

noun

im-ˈpre-shən How to pronounce impression (audio)
Definition of impressionnext
1
as in impress
a perceptible trace left by pressure a shoe impression in the dirt that could lead police to the culprit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in idea
something imagined or pictured in the mind had a vague impression that the guide would be female

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun impression contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of impression are conception, concept, idea, notion, and thought. While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses.

the first impression is of soaring height

When might concept be a better fit than impression?

While in some cases nearly identical to impression, concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be.

a society with no concept of private property

How are the words conception and concept related as synonyms of impression?

Conception is often interchangeable with concept; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result.

our changing conception of what constitutes art

When would idea be a good substitute for impression?

While the synonyms idea and impression are close in meaning, idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed.

innovative ideas
my idea of paradise

When can notion be used instead of impression?

In some situations, the words notion and impression are roughly equivalent. However, notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental.

you have the oddest notions

Where would thought be a reasonable alternative to impression?

Although the words thought and impression have much in common, thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining.

commit your thoughts to paper

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impression Check out my hands-on impressions and the system in action above, followed by more details and plenty of photos below. —Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 23 May 2025 Scribes and sculptors, for the most part, stopped carving significant dates into stone, giving archeologists the eerie impression that Maya history had ended. —Lizzie Wade, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025 Spending the funds Headlines about universities receiving large grants may leave the impression that such funds are simply added to the institution’s general coffers. —Kelly S. Mix, The Conversation, 22 May 2025 At five feet tall and wide, plants make a big impression in the garden. 04 of 15 Beebalm Botanical Name: Monarda spp. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for impression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impression
  1. impress
  2. idea
  3. imprint
  4. thought
  5. print
  6. concept
  7. conception
  8. notion
Noun
  • Nearby, the quality of fresh seafood impresses at a bustling wet market.
    — Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • Christine Rucci, denim expert and founder of Godmother NYC, Inc., is less impress with recent efforts to subvert.
    — Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 May 2025
Definition of impress
Noun
  • The traditional career ladder is being replaced by a launchpad where your trajectory is defined by your ability to scale yourself and your ideas through intelligent agents.
    — Arafat Kabir, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • Per usual, the old and new world methods clash over topics like whether to physically restrain Emma to a bed, and Theophilus is convinced that anything that looks like rational evidence against his ideas is just Satan manipulating everyone’s brain.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 June 2025
Definition of idea
Noun
  • Alex Caruso was one of the last to reach the floor for Oklahoma City, but again made a large imprint, guarding multiple positions and making all three of his 3s.
    — Anthony Slater, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • Image 1: Excerpted from the book Dykes to Watch Out For, provided courtesy of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
Definition of imprint
Noun
  • Pope Leo's Style of American Leadership Is a Hopeful Opportunity This body of thought, which had its most notable appearance in his 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum, introduced the world to a new approach to the social, economic, and political challenges of the day.
    — Time, Time, 29 May 2025
  • And, of course, doing all these things in the presence of clients just shows a complete lack of rational thought.
    — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 29 May 2025
Definition of thought
Noun
  • Longer prints mean more power use and more opportunities for your print to peel off the print bed.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2025
  • Venture secondary specialists confirm that secondary prints have tightened from 60 percent discounts to low double-digits on marquee names.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Definition of print
Noun
  • For instance, many of my coachees/leaders who have grown vertically on their own weren’t familiar with this concept until they were introduced to it in their organization’s professional development program.
    — Liz Guthridge, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • But without the grounding ballast of a well-articulated sense of self, these jokes are free-floating concepts in search of the context that actually makes sitcom quips memorable.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 28 May 2025
Definition of concept
Noun
  • As a child growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, Elliott Hundley formed his conception of how artists live based on cinematic archetypes of painters and sculptors roughing it in bohemian splendor in converted industrial spaces.
    — Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 30 May 2025
  • Akin uses a child’s perspective to wrestle with a nation’s conception of itself in the waning days of brutality.
    — Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
Definition of conception
Noun
  • Many of the pointed questions that Cruz Guerrero sought answers to in the text revolved around fatherhood, namely the elusive notion of work-life balance.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
  • The very notion of shared destiny and collective goals is fading.
    — Sturla Henriksen, Time, 5 June 2025
Definition of notion

Browse Nearby Words

impressing
impression
impressionability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impression. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on impression

Nglish: Translation of impression for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about impression

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Some Data About 'Datum'

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All