A strong impressed synonym signals to readers the size of your admiration: struck and taken with are gentle, amazed and dazzled are bigger, and awed or blown away sit at the top. Picking the right level makes praise sound sincere rather than generic.
Impressed is also the past of the verb impress, as in she impressed on us the need for care. That sense means stressed, and it has its own small group below.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
amazed, struck, wowed, awed, taken withPart of speech
Adjective; past tense of impressMost formal
favorably struck, gratifiedMost casual
wowed, blown away, flooredStrongest
awestruck, blown awayAntonyms
unimpressed, underwhelmed, disappointedWatch out
Impressed is how you feel; impressive is the thing that caused it. The view was impressive, and I was impressed.
Every impressed synonym by strength
The chip strip shows a rising scale. Pleased is calm approval, typical of a polite annual review. Taken with means you liked something more than expected. Amazed adds surprise. Dazzled suggests brilliance, often visual or showy. Awestruck means admiration mixed with a little wonder or even fear, best for nature, art or great skill.
| Level | Words |
|---|---|
| Mild | pleased, satisfied, struck, taken with |
| Medium | amazed, won over, wowed, moved |
| Strong | dazzled, astounded, blown away, awestruck |
Prepositions after each word
Impressed usually takes by or with: impressed by her speech, impressed with the results. Many swaps change the preposition.
- amazed by or at: amazed at the speed
- struck by: struck by how calm he was
- taken with (fixed): quite taken with the cottage
- in awe of: in awe of her patience
- won over by: won over by the demo
With that, many people add a clause: I was amazed that it worked.
Small rewrites, bigger effect
- I was impressed by the food. Rewrite: I was won over by the food.
- The judges were impressed. Rewrite: The judges were dazzled.
- We were very impressed with your proposal. Rewrite: We were struck by the clarity of your proposal.
- Everyone was impressed when she solved it. Rewrite: Everyone was amazed when she solved it.
- I am impressed. Casual rewrite: Wow, nice work, or I am blown away.
A thank-you email after an interview: "I was impressed by your team." Changing it to I was struck by how openly your team shared ideas gives a specific reason, which sounds far more genuine.
Impressed on: the verb meaning
When someone impressed something on you, they made it clear and memorable. Swaps include stressed, emphasized, underlined, drove home and, for values over time, instilled.
- Our trainer impressed on us why stretching matters. Swap: Our trainer drove home why stretching matters.
- Her parents impressed honesty on her. Swap: Her parents instilled honesty in her.
For more, see emphasize synonyms. A third, physical sense means pressed into a surface, as in a seal impressed in wax, which swaps to stamped or imprinted.
Neighbors that are not the same
Impressive describes the cause, not the feeling; its own page is impressive synonyms. Inspired means you now want to act, which goes beyond admiring. Surprised cuts both ways, so it only replaces impressed when context makes the praise clear. Shocked leans negative and is a risky swap. Compare surprised synonyms and amazing synonyms.
Opposite words for impressed
Unimpressed is the plain opposite and sounds cool. Underwhelmed is wry and casual. Disappointed means you expected more. Indifferent and unmoved mean you felt little either way.
- The critics were underwhelmed by the sequel.
- She seemed unmoved by the flattery.
For more emotion words, browse words for feelings.
Frequently asked questions
Which word sounds stronger than impressed?
Amazed, astounded and awestruck are all stronger. Blown away is strong too, but it is casual, so keep it for speech or friendly messages.
How can I say impressed formally?
Struck by, favorably struck and gratified suit formal letters. In business writing, we were pleased with the quality is also polite and measured.
Is impressed by or impressed with correct?
Both are correct. By is more common for people and performances, while with is common for results and objects, but the two overlap freely.
Which casual words mean impressed?
Wowed, blown away and floored all work in chat. Floored can also mean shocked, so make the context positive.
How would you describe a person who rarely feels impressed?
You might say they are hard to please, discerning or demanding. Jaded suggests they have seen too much to feel wonder.
What is the antonym of impressed?
Unimpressed is the direct antonym. Underwhelmed, disappointed and indifferent give different shades of the same idea.