imp
noun
a little devil or demon; an evil spirit.
imp
1 American
[imp]
/ ɪmp /
noun
imps
plural
verb (used with object)
imps,
present (3rd person singular)
imped,
past participle, past
imping
present participle
-
Falconry.
-
to graft (feathers) into a wing.
-
to furnish (a wing, tail, etc.) with feathers, as to make good losses or deficiencies and improve powers of flight.
-
-
Archaic. to add a piece to; mend or repair.
IMP
2
American
imp.
3
American
abbreviation
imp.
4
American
abbreviation
-
imperative.
-
imperfect.
-
imperial.
-
impersonal.
-
implement.
-
import.
-
important.
-
imported.
-
importer.
-
imprimatur.
-
imprint.
-
improper.
-
improved.
-
improvement.
Imp.
5
American
abbreviation
Imp.
6
American
abbreviation
imp.
1
British
abbreviation
-
imperative
-
imperfect
-
imperial
-
imprimatur
Imp.
2
British
abbreviation
-
Imperator
-
Imperatrix
-
Imperial
imp
3
British
/ ɪmp /
noun
-
a small demon or devil; mischievous sprite
-
a mischievous child
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
impsimple
-
impssimple
-
have impedperfect
-
has impedperfect
-
am impingprogressive
-
are impingprogressive
-
is impingprogressive
-
have been impingperfect progressive
-
has been impingperfect progressive
Past
-
impedsimple
-
had impedperfect
-
was impingprogressive
-
were impingprogressive
-
had been impingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of imp1
before 900; (noun) Middle English impe, Old English impa, impe shoot, graft < Late Latin impotus, imputus grafted shoot < Greek émphytos planted, implanted, verbal adjective of emphŷein to implant ( em- em- 2 + phŷein to bring forth); (v.) Middle English impen to plant, graft, Old English impian, geimpian, derivative of the noun (compare Old High German impfōn, impitōn > German impfen to inoculate); sense “demon” < phrase imp of the devil
Origin of imp.3
From the Latin word imprīmīs
Origin of Imp.5
From the Latin word Imperātor
Origin of Imp.6
From the Latin word Imperātrīx
Explanation
An imp is a trouble maker — not a thug or a criminal, but a mischievous sort who might make prank phone calls or harass a substitute teacher. Impe is an Old English word meaning young plant shoot. It was eventually applied to the offspring of people and later used pejoratively in the sense of offspring of the devil. The devilish meaning remains, but an imp can also be any mischievous person, especially a small child. You might call the boy you babysit an imp if he's in the habit of playing tricks on you — like locking you out of the house.
Vocabulary lists containing imp
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 2
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The War That Saved My Life
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Queen of the Sea
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
What consequential life experiences have I missed, taunting my eyeballs, indulging this social media imp turned experimental pugilist as he bumbles around the ring with has-beens and never-weres?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
He works hard for his laughs, sometimes too hard, but he’s an endearing imp — an overwhelmed freelancer trying to survive the unforgiving gig economy of his age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2025
The juvenile insouciance of Blenkin’s trillionaire is one, a grinning imp who waves his bare feet around in the way of someone who means every offense.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2025
The experienced tempter warns the imp not to let his subject actually believe in God or satanic powers.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 29, 2023
I grab at the hand foolish enough to pickpocket me, squeezing tight so the little imp won’t be able to run away.
From "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard
The new group’s constituent factions from the Pakistani Taliban have historically had strong affiliations with al Qaeda, and IMP has successfully moved into a power vacuum in Afghanistan left by the Islamic State Khorasan Province.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
“We instantly connected over our love of music and having a good time,” says Schon, who interned with D.C. promoter IMP during college.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 28, 2022
In 1969, Heart led a small team of talented young engineers to build the Interface Message Processor, or IMP, a computer whose special function was to switch data among the computers on the Arpanet.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2018
Greece also doesn’t have so-called Gram-negative bacteria with gene mutations known as NDM, IMP and OXA-48, which are common elsewhere, Pournaras said.
From BusinessWeek ● Feb. 9, 2012
Little did he think when his eyes rested lovingly on this inscription, beginning— IMP.
From Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. 22, August, 1878 by Various
Here begynneth the Temple of Glass, imp. by Wynkyn de Worde.
From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall
This Boke is named the Beaultie of Women, translated out of French into Englyshe, imp. by Wier.
From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall
Here begynneth a lytel Treatise, called the Controverse betwene a Lover and a Jaye, lately compyled, imp. by Wynkyn de Worde.
From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall
Cloth, £6, 6s. the 5 vols., imp. 8vo.
From Letters to the Clergy On The Lord's Prayer and the Church by Ruskin, John
Edit. 4to., ib., imp. by G. Alde, 1609.
From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall
“My pleasure, Imp. And now, we make you one o’ us.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
"On your feet, Imp. My lady wants to see you."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Imp. 8vo, with 22 Lithographic Coloured Plates and Wood Engravings, £1 11s. 6d.
From Schweigger on Squint A Monograph by Dr. C. Schweigger by Schweigger, C.
Imp. at Lond. by Wyllyam Coplande, 1557, folio.
From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall
Imp. de Lyon' tome 2 1852 pages 95, 114.
From The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication — Volume 1 by Darwin, Charles
The hand-painted imps, based on a carving of the mischievous creature which adorns Lincoln Cathedral, had been dotted around the city in a bid to boost tourism.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2021
Plus, Matt Berry as a talking sword, and various imps, witches, dragons and goblins, an exploited race among whom revolution, or at least a demand for health care, may be stirring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 3, 2021
With a broad, cherubic face, dimpled chin, unruly hair and a charismatic presence described as “gnomelike,” Mr. Pollard excelled at playing imps, half-wits and outright weirdos.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 22, 2019
Ms. Waller-Bridge understands that we are all laws unto ourselves, governed by our own special imps of the perverse.
From New York Times ● Mar. 8, 2019
Kendra pushed between a pair of imps, heading for the door.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
He specifically spoke about Hoggle’s “thought disorder,” a condition common among those with schizophrenia that can imped their ability to communicate.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 23, 2022
"I have joined the wing, father, and I have imped the feathers; but I fear it will be Christmas ere she can fly again."
From Sir Nigel by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir
Thou hadst in the forgotten crowd Of common beauties lived unknown, Had not my verse extolled thy name, And with it imped the wings of Fame.
From The Home Book of Verse — Volume 2 by Stevenson, Burton Egbert
Possibly he shared his master's belief that "even the best translation is for mere necessity but an evil imped wing to fly withal, or a heavy stump leg of wood to go withal."
From Early Theories of Translation by Amos, Flora Ross
To the end that you may not faile of this worke of imping, you must principally take heed, not to ouer-cleaue the Stockes of your Trees.
From A New Orchard And Garden or, The best way for planting, grafting, and to make any ground good, for a rich Orchard: Particularly in the North and generally for the whole kingdome of England by Lawson, William, fl. 1618
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.