impulse (ˈɪmpʌls
)
Definitions
noun
- an impelling force or motion; thrust; impetus
- a sudden desire, whim, or inclination ⇒
I bought it on an impulse
- an instinctive drive; urge
- tendency; current; trend
- physics
- the product of the average magnitude of a force acting on a body and the time for which it acts
- the change in the momentum of a body as a result of a force acting upon it for a short period of time
- physiology See nerve impulse
- electronics a less common word for pulse1 (sense 2)
- See on impulse
Word Origin
C17: from Latin impulsus a pushing against, incitement, from impellere to strike against; see impelSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
urge,
longing,
desire,
drive,
wish,
fancy,
notion,
yen,
instinct,
yearning,
inclination,
itch,
whim,
compulsion,
caprice,
Quotations
"I am the very slave of circumstanceAnd impulse - borne away with every breath!"
"To our strongest impulse, to the tyrant in us, not only our reason but also our conscience yields"
"Have no truck with first impulses for they are always generous ones"
Usage examples
It's always my impulse to refuse to take obvious facts at their face value.
, Double Deceit (1990)This is a fitting end for a minister who has made a career by presenting herself as governed by impulse rather than political interest.
Spiked (2003)A close second is his highly cultivated, and as genuine as Jello, impulse to speak his mind.
Globe and Mail (2003)Pal Rachel Thompson 29, said: `She always did act on impulse.
Sun, News of the World (2000)The writer is unable to think clearly or purposefully, is often weak-willed and tends to act on impulse.
, An Introduction to Graphology (1989)