IMPRESSION Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

impression

noun

im-ˈpre-shən

Definition of impression next

as in impress

a perceptible trace left by pressure a shoe impression in the dirt that could lead police to the culprit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in idea

something imagined or pictured in the mind had a vague impression that the guide would be female

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Its profile was direct and expressive, designed to make a clear first impression. —

Maria Williams, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026 Louisville, Kentucky, had a 6-inch snowfall five days before my arrival this past weekend, and the incomplete plowing made an impression on me. —

Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026 The North Carolina native is quickly leaving a good impression. —

Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 7 Feb. 2026 In this way, Akinola and Wale Davies establish two parallel awakenings for the brothers in the film, and everything that the boys see and hear—not just dialogue but all their ambient impressions—contribute to one or both. —

Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impression

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impression

Noun

But the lead did impress because Tampa had everything to play for, in a fight with Carolina to win the sad NFC South and claim the conference’s final available playoff spot.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025
The push for fully autonomous systems, agents that plan, reason, and act without human oversight, has created an automation theater where demos impress, but production systems disappoint.

— Joel Hron, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025