Definition of impressionistnext
as in performer
a person who imitates another's voice and mannerisms for comic effect a celebrated impressionist who can do enough rapid-fire imitations to populate an entire stage with characters

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impressionist

2 of 2

adjective

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 impressionist
Noun
Mimics tells the story of Sam, a struggling impressionist who makes a pact with a wicked puppet. — Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026 The actor and impressionist, who has been with the show since 1989, has no idea what happens after that. — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Reading Europe’s fate through the lives of two French sisters in a famous impressionist portrait. — Luke Lyman, Washington Post, 13 July 2026 As Maher walked on stage to receive his award from 2014 awardee Leno, up stepped impressionist Friend from the audience to interrupt the proceedings. — Paul Harris, Variety, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for impressionist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impressionist
Noun
  • Hugo said his work as a songwriter, producer, arranger, and performer was central to their success, though Williams was the public face of their partnership.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In the Chicago Tribune, Loerzel wrote that the opening of the Uptown in 1925 was cause for a festival, complete with bands, trapeze artists and a madcap performer who set himself ablaze and submerged himself in water to extinguish the flames.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Inevitably, much of that knowledge was still undigested and poorly sorted; as a result the planet, viewed from Europe, must have seemed a rather impressionistic and formless place.
    — Ian Tattersall, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026
  • As Pattinson spends a long night trying to rescue his brother, the Safdies weave a nightmarish, impressionistic vision of New York that ranks among the most unsettling cinematic depictions of the city.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The actor and his wife, singer Dua Lipa, are frequently spotted walking their actual dog, a Labrador-Rottweiler named Golo.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The former child actor’s cause of death was confirmed as suicide to various outlets by his rep, and the news left his fans and former co-stars in shock.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Raimi and his collaborators go all out, ramping up the expressionistic filmmaking and embracing a clearer tone of comical absurdity.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
  • In his songs, the English language turned woolier and more expressionistic; musical space-time distended and stretched.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The entertainer lived in the US until his dramatic split with the States during the Red Scare of the ’50s.
    — Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Martin, whose career has spanned movies, comedy, television and music, received the IBMA’s entertainer of the year accolade in 2011.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The collaboration launches with the work of LeRoy Neiman, who is known for his expressionist depictions of sports, leisure, and other facets of Americana.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Soon, his neo-expressionist paintings gained popularity, and they were featured in museums and galleries across the world.
    — Nicole Harris, Parents, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Deafheaven broke the mold by introducing blinding light to rock music’s darkest corner, but after wave upon wave of imitators, the only subversion left is to blot out the sun.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Dadaists used this gleefully and compulsively (see René Clair and Francis Picabia’s wacky Entr’Acte); so, famously, did Hideo Nakata in Y2K hit The Ring and countless imitators.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In this case, that’s Sarah Jones, a hugely adept impersonator of a variety of New York characters who, in 2006, won a special Tony for her one-person summoning of nearly all of Queens in Bridge & Tunnel.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • An impersonator may have tricked a Las Vegas nightclub last year, but those at the park Tuesday appeared convinced of their brush with Bieber.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Impressionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impressionist. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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