impression

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun impression contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of impression are conception, concept, idea, notion, and thought. While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses.

the first impression is of soaring height

When might concept be a better fit than impression?

While in some cases nearly identical to impression, concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be.

a society with no concept of private property

How are the words conception and concept related as synonyms of impression?

Conception is often interchangeable with concept; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result.

our changing conception of what constitutes art

When would idea be a good substitute for impression?

While the synonyms idea and impression are close in meaning, idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed.

innovative ideas
my idea of paradise

When can notion be used instead of impression?

In some situations, the words notion and impression are roughly equivalent. However, notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental.

you have the oddest notions

Where would thought be a reasonable alternative to impression?

Although the words thought and impression have much in common, thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining.

commit your thoughts to paper

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 impression Still, the Arts & Crafts pioneer’s radical spirit made a lasting impression, and her label’s modern-day Victorian designs have consistently drawn from his oeuvre. Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025 The nature left a big impression on me. Kristine Kwak, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025 Unsurprisingly, the survey found handing in workslop didn’t leave the best impression on co-workers. Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2025 While talent and hard work opened doors, Nayyar turned to a personal tactic that his father taught him, to make a lasting impression on hiring managers—or in his case, casting directors, producers, and Hollywood stars. Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impression
Noun
  • Nor did the Stryker impress in its Iraq War debut.
    Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
  • All Emmitt Finnie has done is impress at every Red Wings prospect event since he was drafted.
    Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Find step-by-step guidance for launching your first business, from testing your idea to growing your revenue.
    Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The First Amendment protects that exchange of ideas and no president’s directive, governor’s diktat, or chancellor’s command can override the Constitution.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But the leader whose imprint set the DNA for Intel’s corporate culture, and that of early Silicon Valley writ large, was Andy Grove, one of the company’s first employees, who became Intel’s third CEO in 1987 and oversaw stunning growth at the company.
    Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Published by Random House Worlds, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The group said Tennessee's youth ranked 42nd in the country for mental health issues in a study that tracked 15 health criteria from substance abuse to thoughts of suicide.
    Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 28 Sep. 2025
  • From wheat farmers in Washington state to Forest Service workers in Montana to business leaders in Mississippi, average Americans offer their thoughts on where the country is headed.
    September 28, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Unlike animal prints or stripes that ebb in and out of style, these textures are timeless and easy to pack.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Jean’s mama, in a kente-print muumuu (as much out of self-consciousness about middle-aged weight gain, Jean figured, as in celebration of the day), hovered nearby, smiling on.
    David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The concept is raising concerns that the bloc is still too slow in improving its deterrence options, however.
    Silvia Amaro, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Engineers from Polytechnique Montréal have unveiled a new parachute concept based on kirigami, the Japanese art of folding and cutting.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But there have been some career stumbles recently, a superhero disappointment in particular, that must have complicated Johnson’s conception of his remarkable career.
    Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Many of the 90-plus works are returning to France for the first time since their conception.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In addition, data showed those who switched to self-employment had previously earned more than peers who were paid employees, contrasting with notions that they were pushed into starting their own business.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The notion that vaccines cause autism was born out of a fraudulent 1998 study, hypothesizing that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine caused intestinal inflammation, which, in turn, led to the development of autism.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Impression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impression. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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