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Origin and history of impressive

impressive(adj.)

1590s, "capable of being easily impressed" (a sense now rare or obsolete), from impress (v.1) + -ive. Meaning "capable of making an impression on the mind or senses, tending to excite attention and feeling" is from 1775. Related: Impressively; impressiveness.

also from 1590s

Entries linking to impressive

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.

unimpressive(adj.)

1715, "unable to receive impression;" by 1778 as "making or leaving no impression;" see un- "not" + impressive. Related: Unimpressively; unimpressiveness.

-ive

word-forming element making adjectives from verbs, meaning "pertaining to, tending to; doing, serving to do," in some cases from Old French -if, but usually directly from Latin adjectival suffix -ivus (source also of Italian and Spanish -ivo). In some words borrowed from French at an early date it has been reduced to -y (as in hasty, tardy).

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    hung
    Meaning "furnished with hangings" is from 1640s; meaning "having (impressive) male genitals" is from 1640s, originally often...
    grave
    kouphos) also was used figuratively, of suffering, sorrow, sobbing, and could mean "oppressive, burdensome, grave, dignified, impressive...
    presence
    The meaning "carriage, demeanor, aspect" (especially if impressive) is from 1570s; that of "divine, spiritual, or incorporeal...
    fierce
    Old French fers, fiers, nominative form of fer, fier "strong, overwhelming, violent, fierce, wild; proud, mighty, great, impressive...
    salty
    mid-15c., salti, "tasting of salt, somewhat salt, impregnated with salt," from salt (n.) + -y (2). The meaning "racy, sexy" is from 1866, from salt in the sense of "that which gives life or pungency" (1570s, originally in reference to words or wit); salt (adj.) also was used of l
    truant
    c. 1200, "beggar, vagabond," from Old French truant "beggar, rogue" (12c.), as an adjective, "wretched, miserable, of low caste," from Gaulish *trougant- (compare Breton *truan, later truant "vagabond," Welsh truan "wretch," Gaelic truaghan "wretched"), of uncertain origin. Compa
    dominion
    mid-15c., "lordship, sovereign or supreme authority," from Old French dominion "dominion, rule, power" and directly from Medieval Latin dominionem (nominative dominio), corresponding to Latin dominium "property, ownership," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PI
    cirrhosis
    "chronic inflammation of connective tissue," originally and especially of the liver, 1827, coined in Modern Latin by French physician René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec with -osis and Greek kirros "red-yellow, yellow-brown, tawny," which is of unknown origin. The form is erroneous,
    body
    Middle English bodi, from Old English bodig "trunk of a man or beast; the whole physical structure of a human or animal; material frame, material existence of a human; main or principal part of anything," related to Old High German botah, but otherwise of unknown origin. Not else
    amethyst
    violet-colored quartz, late 13c., amatist, from Old French ametiste (12c., Modern French améthyste) and directly from Medieval Latin amatistus, from Latin amethystus, from Greek amethystos "amethyst," noun use of an adjective meaning "not intoxicating; not drunken," from a- "not"

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