impel
verb (used with object)
to drive or urge forward; press on; incite or constrain to action.
impelled
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past participleof impel.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof impel.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
impelverb (used with object)to drive or urge forward; press on; incite or constrain to action.
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.
A sense of duty, rooted for many in a profound Christian faith, impelled each to take extraordinary risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
What impelled him, and what does it mean?
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2025
But the 1933 Cuban Revolution impelled his family’s flight from the island, dashing Desi’s hopes of a legal career.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
His frustration and anger at the press, however, impelled him to buck convention by suing newspaper owners — allegedly against the wishes of his father, now King Charles III.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 4, 2023
She saw grief-stricken children in desperate need, and every instinct within her impelled her to sweep them into her arms and nurture them.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
