impressive-looking
Meaning
Having an appearance that creates a striking or admirable effect.
Structure
Usage
The museum's new wing is an impressive-looking building of glass and steel.
He arrived in an impressive-looking car that turned heads on the street.
The proposal was backed by an impressive-looking array of data and charts.
Etymology
The compound adjective 'impressive-looking' is a modern English formation that follows a productive pattern for describing appearance. The first element, 'impressive', originates from the Latin verb imprimere ('to press into'), which evolved through French into English with the sense of making a marked effect on the mind or feelings. The second element, 'looking', derives from the Old English verb lōcian, related to the act of seeing or appearing. When combined, the literal construction 'having an appearance that impresses' succinctly conveys the modern meaning of something whose visual qualities command attention or admiration, demonstrating how English flexibly combines native and Latinate elements to create descriptive terms.
Analysis
- impressive: From Latin impressus, past participle of imprimere meaning 'to press into or upon'. In English, it functions as an adjective meaning 'evoking admiration'. - looking: From Old English lōcian meaning 'to see, gaze, appear'. In this compound, the present participle form functions as an adjective meaning 'having a specified appearance'.