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Origin and history of impress

impress(v.1)

late 14c., impressen, "have a strong effect on the mind or heart, stamp deeply in the mind;" also literal, "make a permanent image in," from Old French empresser and directly from Latin impressus, past participle of imprimere "press into or upon, stamp," also figurative, from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + premere "to press, hold fast, cover, crowd, compress" (from PIE root *per- (4) "to strike"). Related: Impressed; impressing.

also from late 14c.

impress(n.)

"act of impressing" (1590s), also "characteristic mark" (1580s), from impress (v.1). From 1620s as "badge worn by nobility or their retainers," from Italian impresa; it was earlier in English in this sense as impreso, imprese (1580s).

also from 1590s

impress(v.2)

"levy for military service," 1590s, from assimilated form of in- (2) "into, in" + press (v.2). Related: Impressed; impressing.

also from 1590s

Entries linking to impress

impressed(adj.)

early 15c., "pressed or forced upon" (the mind), past-participle adjective from impress (v.).

press(v.2)

"force into service," especially military or naval service, 1570s, alteration (by association with press (v.1)) of prest (mid-14c.) "engage by loan, pay in advance," especially in reference to money paid to a soldier or sailor on enlisting, from Latin praestare "to stand out, stand before; fulfill, perform, provide," from prae- "before" (see pre-) + stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm." The verb is related to praesto (adv.) "ready, available." Related: Pressed; pressing.

  • impressable
  • impressible
  • impression
  • impressive
  • impressment
  • unimpressed
  • *en
  • in-
  • *per-
  • See All Related Words (11)
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More to explore

impression
late 14c., "mark produced by pressure," also "image produced in the mind or emotions by something external," from Old French impression "print, stamp; a pressing on the mind" (13c.), from Latin impressionem (nominative impressio) "a pressing into, onset, attack," figuratively "a
affect
late 14c., "mental state," from Latin affectus "disposition, mood, state of mind or body produced by some external influence," noun use of adjective affectus "disposed, constituted, inclined," literally "furnished, supplied, endowed," past participle of afficere "to do; treat, us
move
late 13c., meven, in various senses (see below), from Anglo-French mover, Old French movoir "to move, get moving, set out; set in motion; introduce" (Modern French mouvoir), from Latin movere "move, set in motion; remove; disturb" (past participle motus, frequentative motare), fr
imprint
formerly also emprint, late 14c., imprenten, emprenten, "to mark by pressure, stamp; to impress on the mind or memory," from...engrave, imprint," from empreinte "mark, impression, imprint" (13c.), noun use of fem. past participle of eimpreindre "to impress..., imprint," from Vulgar Latin *impremere, from Latin imprimere "to impress, imprint," from assimilated form of in- "into,...
intimate
very familiar," also "inmost, intrinsic," from Late Latin intimatus, past participle of intimare "make known, announce, impress...
stamp
The meaning "impress or mark (a design on something) with a die" is attested by mid-15c. (implied in stamped)....Italian stampa "stamp, impression," Spanish estampar "to stamp, print," French étamper (13c., Old French estamper) "to stamp, impress...
masher
Meaning "would-be lady-killer, one whose dress or manners are such as to impress strongly the fancy of susceptible young...
stir
Middle English stiren, from Old English styrian, stirian "to move, be or become active or busy, pass into motion," also transitive, "to agitate with a rotating motion (a liquid or mixture by hand or with an instrument), move, change the location of; rouse, agitate, incite, urge;"
recipe
1580s, "medical prescription, a formula for the composing of a remedy written by a physician," from French récipé (15c.), from Latin recipe "take!" (this or that ingredient), second person imperative singular of recipere "to hold, contain" (see receive). It was the word written b
pierce
c. 1300 (c. 1200 as a surname), percen, "make a hole in; force one's way through; thrust through with or as with a sharp or pointed instrument," from Anglo-French perser, Old French percier "pierce, transfix, drive through" (12c., Modern French percer), probably from Vulgar Latin

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Dictionary entries near impress
  • impregnable
  • impregnate
  • impregnation
  • impresario
  • imprescriptible
  • impress
  • impressable
  • impressed
  • impressible
  • impression
  • impressionable
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