What does impression mean?
Word: Impression
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Impression means an idea or feeling you form about someone or something, often quickly; also a mark pressed into a surface, or an imitation of a famous person.
Synonyms: feeling, effect, impact
How do you spell impression?
Syllables: im - pres - sion
Tricky part: The ending is sion, not tion: impretion is a common slip, because the sh sound could be spelt either way.
Watch out for: impresion, impretion
Memory tip: Think of mission and session: they end in ssion too, with the same double s before ion.
Impression in a sentence
Example 1: The boot left a deep impression in the wet mud.
Example 2: Arrive on time for the interview to make a good impression.
Example 3: My brother does a funny impression of our cricket coach.
Fun Fact
The art movement Impressionism took its name from a painting by Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise, shown in Paris in 1874. A critic used the title to make fun of the group.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. impression 2. sensation 3. reputasion 4. attention
a) the act of watching or listening carefully
b) the opinion that most people hold about someone
c) a feeling in your body, such as heat or pain
d) an idea or feeling formed about someone or something
Show answer
b) the opinion that most people hold about someone. Reputasion should end in tion, the same as nation and station, so reputation is the misspelt one.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
imppression
a) p
b) r
c) i
d) s
Show answer
a) p. Only one p follows im; the double letter in this word is the s.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to impression as used in the sentence:
My first impression of the new school was that it felt friendly and calm.
a) notion
b) compression
c) pressure
d) expression
Show answer
a) notion. Here an impression is the idea you form at first sight, which is a notion; the other three only look similar.
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the suffix ive to form an adjective. Choose it:
ive
a) approve
b) admire
c) believe
d) impress
Show answer
d) impress. Add ive to impress and you get impressive, as in an impressive score; admire, approve and believe take no ive ending.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A comedian who does an impression of a famous cricketer ____.
a) bowls for the national side
b) copies the cricketer's voice
c) interviews the cricketer live
d) writes the cricketer's life story
Show answer
b) copies the cricketer's voice
2. Pick the sentence where impression means a mark.
a) I had the impression he was upset.
b) His speech created a strong impression.
c) She made a good impression at the interview.
d) The seal left an impression in the hot wax.
Show answer
d) The seal left an impression in the hot wax.
