impression

plural impressions

1. countableuncountableThe indentation or depression made by the pressure of one object on or into another.

   His head made an impression on the pillow.

2. countableuncountableThe overall effect of something, e.g., on a person.

   He tried to make a good impression on his parents.

   4 more examples

   Their empires, triumphs, conquests, and projects, have left little impression behind them, notwithstanding the attention they once attracted, and the violent convulsions which they caused in the state of the world.

   1805, Henry Kett, “Conclusion”, in Elements of General Knowledge, Introductory to Useful Books in the Principal Branches of Literature and Science. […], volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: […] [T]he Press of H. Maxwell, for F. Nichols, […], and J. A. Cummings, […], pages 387–388

   The stories did not seem to me to touch life. […] They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.

   1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC

   Though most of the cases here cover European encounters with non-Europeans, it is not the intention of the book to give the impression that genocide is a function of European colonialism and imperialism alone.

   2008 June 1, A. Dirk Moses, “Preface”, in Empire, Colony, Genocide: Conquest, Occupation, and Subaltern Resistance in World History, Berghahn Books, →ISBN, page x

   He wrote he was “absolutely clear that the BBC must champion impartiality” and added: “We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.”

   2025 November 10, Kevin Rawlinson, “BBC resignations are result of internal ‘coup’, says former Sun editor”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 04 Dec 2025

   Synonyms: take

3. countableuncountableA vague recalling of an event, a belief.

   I have the impression that he's already left for Paris.

   Synonyms: perception

4. countableuncountableAn impersonation, an imitation of the mannerisms of another person.
5. countableuncountableAn outward appearance.
6. InternetcountableuncountableA performance metric representing an instance where a post or ad is shown once.

   Publishers are paid for each ad impression their site generates.

   2010, Dusty Reagan, Twitter Application Development For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 329

7. countableuncountablepaintingThe first coat of colour, such as the priming in house-painting etc.
8. countableuncountableartsA print on paper from a wood block, metal plate, etc.
9. countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe vivid perception of something as it is experienced, in contrast to ideas or thoughts drawn from memory or the imagination.

   1 more example

   Let us, therefore, use a little freedom, and call them Impressions; employing that word in a sense somewhat different from the usual. By the term impression, then, I mean all our more lively perceptions, when we hear, or see, or feel, or love, or hate, or desire, or will. And impressions are distinguished from ideas, which are the less lively perceptions, of which we are conscious, when we reflect on any of those sensations or movements above mentioned.

   1748, David Hume, “Of the Origin of Ideas”, in An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

10. countableuncountablemediaset of copies of a publication printed at one time having the same content, layout, pagination, etc.

present singular third person impressions · participle present impressioning · participle past impressioned · past impressioned

1. To manipulate a blank key within a lock so as to mark it with impressions of the shape of the lock, which facilitates creation of a duplicate key.

   The trick in impressioning a key is to remove only a small amount of the blank, by filing or cutting, from the pin positions where impressions have been left.

   2007, Graham Pulford, High-Security Mechanical Locks: An Encyclopedic Reference, page 55