impressionistic

/ˌɪmpreʃəˈnɪstɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪmpreʃəˈnɪstɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)im-ˌpre-shə-ˈni-stik/ (ame, mw)

impressionistic — adjective

  • impressionisticpositive
  • more impressionisticcomparative
  • most impressionisticsuperlative

1. describing something that gives you a broad feel for what happened or what somet

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing something that gives you a broad feel for what happened or what something is like, without including exact facts, numbers, or small details

例句

Joaquin gave an impressionistic account of the meeting, skipping most of the numbers.

collocation: impressionistic account

An impressionistic overview of the city was all the guide had time for.

同義詞
  • approximate

    more neutral and often used with numbers; impressionistic suggests a deliberate stylistic choice

  • sketchy

    more informal and negative, implying something incomplete or unreliable

  • rough

    practical and provisional rather than polished; lacks the stylistic connotation of impressionistic

反義詞
  • precise

    exact and accurate in every detail

  • detailed

    includes all the small facts and points

文法句型

an impressionistic + account/description/overview/summary

be/seem + impressionistic

用法筆記

Often describes written or spoken accounts (report, summary, narrative, overview) rather than physical things. Distinguish from sense 2 (ART MOVEMENT), which refers specifically to a painting style.

常見錯誤

❌The view from the mountain was impressionistic.
✅The view from the mountain was impressive.
💡'Impressionistic' means rough or approximate, not striking or awe-inspiring.
❌She gave an impressionistic report full of exact numbers.
✅She gave an impressionistic report without exact numbers.
💡'Impressionistic' means lacking precise details, so it clashes with 'full of exact numbers.'

2. connected with Impressionism, the late-19th-century painting style in which arti

2.形容詞C1
釋義

connected with Impressionism, the late-19th-century painting style in which artists used small, quick brush strokes and light colours to capture how a scene feels at a particular moment

例句

Kwame stood before an impressionistic canvas, studying the dabs of light and colour.

collocation: impressionistic canvas

An entire wing of the gallery is filled with impressionistic landscapes.

同義詞
  • Impressionist

    often interchangeable, but 'Impressionist' (capitalised) more strictly refers to members or works of the historical movement

文法句型

impressionistic + painting/style/technique/landscape/brushwork

用法筆記

Used almost exclusively about visual art, especially painting. Refers to the historical movement led by Monet, Renoir, and others in late-19th-century France.

常見錯誤

❌The building had an impressionistic design.
✅The building had an Impressionist-inspired design.
💡'Impressionistic' as an art term belongs primarily to painting; for architecture, 'Impressionist-inspired' is clearer.