impressionable

1 of 2

adjective

im·​pres·​sion·​able im-ˈpre-sh(ə-)nə-bəl 

: capable of being easily impressed

The book has a profound effect on his impressionable mind.

impressionability

im-ˌpre-sh(ə-)nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

impressionability

2 of 2

noun

im·​pres·​sion·​abil·​i·​ty ə̇mpresh(ə)nəˈbilətē 

-lətē, 

-i

: the quality or state of being impressionable : susceptibility to impressions

that flabby impressionability which is dignified under the name of creative temperament

—John O'Hara

Examples of impressionable in a Sentence

Adjective

The teacher was accused of forcing his political beliefs on impressionable teenagers.

The book had a profound effect on his impressionable young mind.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Initially, Giles doesn’t tell Buffy and the Scoobies about any of this, preferring to conceal his rebellious youth from the impressionable youngsters. — ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026

And the most impressionable fans among his multigenerational audience are those too young to be totally engulfed by it. — Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 3 June 2026

So when someone like Duran gets harassed after revealing a mental illness – and then expresses regret for having opened up – an impressionable onlooker could decide that talking about their mental health struggles isn’t worth the risk. — Scott Parrott, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

In my impressionable eyes, no one was cooler than Mike Bailey. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

impressionable

adjective

im·​pres·​sion·​able im-ˈpresh-(ə-)nə-bəl 

: easy to impress or influence

impressionability

-ˌpresh-(ə-)nə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun