impresionar
verbCEFR B2
What does “impresionar” mean in English?
to impress, to strike
to impress, to strike (impresionar al jurado — make a strong positive or notable impression on someone)
Example sentences
La habilidad del candidato para comunicarse con claridad en tres idiomas impresionó al jurado desde el primer momento.
The candidate's ability to communicate clearly in three languages impressed the panel from the very first moment.
Lo que más me impresionó de la visita fue la escala del proyecto y la atención al detalle en cada fase.
What impressed me most about the visit was the scale of the project and the attention to detail at every stage.
El rendimiento del equipo en condiciones tan adversas impresionó a todos los observadores internacionales.
The team's performance under such adverse conditions impressed all the international observers.
How to use it
Impresionar means 'to impress', 'to make an impression on', or 'to strike'. Structure: algo impresiona a alguien (something impresses someone). The reflexive impresionarse con/por means 'to be impressed by'. Common collocations: causar una buena/mala impresión (make a good/bad impression — note: this is the noun impresión, not the verb), impresionar al jurado/al público. Don't confuse with sorprender (surprise — unexpected) or asombrar (astonish — stronger, more extreme reaction).
Common mistake
In Spanish, 'impresionar' describes the effect on the recipient, not a deliberate act by an agent: 'su discurso me impresionó' (his speech impressed me — the speech was impressive). Don't translate English 'I tried to impress them' directly — use 'intenté causar una buena impresión' or 'quería impresionarlos'.