impressionable

[ im-presh-uh-nuh-buhl, -presh-nuh- ]

adjective

1. easily impressed or influenced; susceptible:

   an impressionable youngster.

   Synonyms: suggestible, responsive, receptive

2. capable of being impressed.

impressionable

/ -ˈprɛʃnə-; ɪmˈprɛʃənəbəl /

adjective

1. easily influenced or characterized by susceptibility to influence

   an impressionable age

   an impressionable child

Derived Forms

• imˌpressionaˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• im·pression·a·bili·ty im·pression·a·ble·ness noun
• im·pression·a·bly adverb
• nonim·pression·a·bili·ty noun
• nonim·pression·a·ble adjective
• nonim·pression·a·ble·ness noun
• over·im·pression·a·bili·ty noun
• over·im·pression·a·ble adjective
• over·im·pression·a·ble·ness noun
• over·im·pression·a·bly adverb
• unim·pression·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of impressionable¹

1825–35; impression + -able; compare French impressionnable

Example Sentences

I hope there’s a less depressing explanation — that Trump is just a really effective con man who knew how to convince a lot of highly impressionable young men that a “real man” had no other choice than to vote for him.

From Salon

Walter Lippmann, the reigning public intellectual of his era, deprecated FDR as “a highly impressionable person, without a firm grasp of public affairs. ... A pleasant man who, without any important qualifications for the office, would very much like to be President.”

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has been appearing on podcasts with a string of “manfluencers” as part of a broader strategy to convince impressionable young men that “real men vote Republican.”

From Salon

But cosmetics brands and the retailers that carry their products are facing a delicate balancing act as they navigate the phenomenon and figure out how to market to a growing cohort of impressionable customers.

From Los Angeles Times

It is a character study of a young, impressionable and eager man of privilege, who wants to rebuild Manhattan in his own image and for his own vanity while trying to convince others it’s for the greater good.

From Salon

Related Words

• susceptible