For instance:
That was an impressive shot he made.
That was an amazing shot he made.
I am asking for a reason.
Thank you for answering.

Tash
That was an impressive shot he made.
That was an amazing shot he made.
I am asking for a reason.
Thank you for answering.

Tash
In your example, they're interchangeable, of course, but I can think of many things that I would call "amazing", because they amaze me, but without finding them particularly impressive - or even while finding them sad or lame. And then on the other hand, if someone performs a notable achievement, I'm likely to call it "impressive", but not necessarily "amazing" if I had high expectations of that person.
Of course, I'm not a native speaker and as such may be inclined to take things a little more literally, make a more conscious connection between "amazing" and "to amaze" / "to be amazed" than a native speaker would do.
Semantics - How interchangeableable are the words "impressive" and "amazing" to you?
27/02/2010 12:10:40 AM
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I would say that amazing feels much stronger to me.
27/02/2010 12:16:52 AM
- 382 Views
It's funny how we have the same disclaimer but totally different answers.
*NM*
27/02/2010 12:18:53 AM
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Not really all that much.
27/02/2010 12:18:10 AM
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Impressive leans towards skill, amazing leans towards luck. In that context anyway. *NM*
27/02/2010 11:48:04 AM
- 155 Views