impressionist 1 of 2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
The comedian and impressionist who has done his impressions to the faces of Michael Buble, Jeff Goldblum, Paul Giamatti and more will be at American Comedy Co. 8 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025 The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum fills in the gaps, connecting the old world to the new with impressionists and abstract pioneers. AFAR Media, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
O’Neal is known for both his neo-impressionist paintings and for large-scale installations of souvenir caricature figurines reflecting on the historic commodification of Black creativity. Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025 Or the paint daubs of an impressionist painting. Alexis Benveniste, Architectural Digest, 21 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impressionist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impressionist
Noun
  • But the controversy surrounding the event with halftime performer Bad Bunny likely stoked additional interest.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Cort, born Walter Edward Cox on March 29, 1948, in New Rochelle, New York, attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts for a brief period and studied acting with Stella Adler before going professional as a performer.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • From a distance, the ritual might seem mysterious—an impressionistic scene of fleshy, wading creatures at a watering hole.
    Rick Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Unmoored from tradition and offering only vague, impressionistic lyrics, Granli’s quavering performances on Rosacea become Rorschach tests, ripe for free association with whatever images your psyche can dredge up.
    H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The Super Bowl was no different with artists Cardi B and Karol G, and actors Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba appearing on screen.
    Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The Writers Guild of America East and West are expected to begin negotiating on March 6, followed by the Directors Guild in May, so the actors union has about a month to make a deal.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Like a director manning a film dolly, Kehlmann pans from one perspective to another—including those of Greta Garbo and Louise Brooks, two glamorous actors whom Pabst discovered—to give an expressionistic sense of the people and the forces shaping his life.
    The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
  • In nearly all these cases, there remains a sense of the uncanny, which makes the more recent works in the restaged show noteworthy for their comparably insistent, sometimes expressionistic representation of a warped realism.
    Tim Griffin, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The 54-year-old entertainer made such an impression on viewers during his on-air stint at the 2024 Summer Olympics that NBC execs had already begun plotting to bring him back for the Milan Games well before the torch was extinguished in Paris.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Anette Arinix Amazing Aga Aga is a Samoan-Pasifika producer, writer, entertainer, and creative director from Hawaiʻi whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, comedy, and community impact.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The production is naturalistic, with bits of expressionist neo-noir worked in when a crime is being described.
    Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
  • One of music’s greatest cosmic ironies is how ground zero for the expressionist rage known as death metal is located in easy driving distance from the Most Magical Place on Earth.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Michtom didn’t bother to patent his invention; the imitators merely spurred interest.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The popularity of products like Meta Ray-Bans has opened up a new market of imitators who are in an arms race to make their smart glasses as ethically dubious as possible, perhaps with a little help from AI or facial recognition software.
    Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Sometimes wrestlers have even portrayed real political figures, as when impersonators of then-Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton squared off during the 2008 presidential campaign.
    Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
  • There are biblical storms, creepy family members, Dolly Parton impersonators, a motel clerk named Norman, a hearty side plot involving a suffragist hit squad, and multiple houses on fire.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Impressionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impressionist. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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