impulse — a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɪmpʌls/
Example Sentences
- She bought 20 bags of chips on impulse and regretted it immediately.
- His first impulse was to run away when he saw his ex-girlfriend at the party.
- The impulse to check social media every five minutes is hard to resist.
impulse
NOUN[/ˈɪmpʌls/]
a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act

On impulse, the shopper bought an expensive guitar without thinking twice.

She acted on impulse before her pulse had even slowed down.

Her impulse to help others gave everyone new purpose.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'impulsus', the past participle of 'impellere', meaning 'to drive or push forward'. The word entered English in the 14th century through Old French.
Breakdown
im- (in/into) + puls (push, drive) + -e (verb ending) = impulse; literally 'to push into or drive forward'
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“She bought 20 bags of chips on impulse and regretted it immediately.”
“His first impulse was to run away when he saw his ex-girlfriend at the party.”
“The impulse to check social media every five minutes is hard to resist.”
“The teacher's enthusiasm gave a new impulse to the students' learning.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.