impetuous

[im-pech-oo-uhs]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR impetuous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of, relating to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive: an impetuous decision; an impetuous person.

having great impetus; moving with great force; violent: the impetuous winds.

Origin of impetuous

1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French < Late Latin impetuōsus, equivalent to Latin impetu(s) impetus + -ōsus -ous

Related formsim·pet·u·ous·ly, adverbim·pet·u·ous·ness, noun

Can be confusedcompulsive impulsive impetuous (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms for impetuous

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR impetuous ON THESAURUS.COM

1. eager, headlong. Impetuous, impulsive both refer to persons who are hasty and precipitate in action, or to actions not preceded by thought. Impetuous suggests eagerness, violence, rashness: impetuous vivacity; impetuous desire; impetuous words. Impulsive emphasizes spontaneity and lack of reflection: an impulsive act of generosity.

Antonyms for impetuous

1. planned, careful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for impetuous

ardent, impulsive, abrupt, eager, fervid, fierce, furious, hasty, headlong, hurried, impassioned, passionate, precipitate, precipitous, rash, restive, rushing, spontaneous, sudden, swift

Examples from the Web for impetuous

Contemporary Examples of impetuous

The old Kaiser Franz Joseph, faithful and hardworking, was the obverse of the feckless and impetuous German kaiser.
Before the Fall: What Did the World Look Like in 1913?
Jacob Heilbrunn
June 9, 2013
Zakir is a fearless and impetuous fighter, a former Guantanamo prisoner who earned a reputation for brutality on the battlefield.
Afghanistan: Will the Taliban Destroy Itself?
Sami Yousafzai
December 17, 2012
Referring to his numerous divorces, he writes, "I was young, impetuous, and lonely."
The Daily Beast Recommends
The Daily Beast
May 19, 2009

Historical Examples of impetuous

"It is a great deal worse to drive without her," said the impetuous lady.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Then, indeed, she had burst upon him with an impetuous despair that had alarmed him.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
At the impetuous outflinging of her hands, the floor was strewn with pink petals.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
He was an impetuous leader; but he was skilful too; he never lost his head.
The Boy Life of Napoleon
Eugenie Foa
Another minute, and impetuous Tom would have burst the window in.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for impetuous

impetuous

adjective

liable to act without consideration; rash; impulsive

resulting from or characterized by rashness or haste

poetic moving with great force or violence; rushingthe impetuous stream hurtled down the valley

Derived Formsimpetuously, adverbimpetuousness or impetuosity (ɪmˌpɛtjʊˈɒsɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for impetuous

C14: from Late Latin impetuōsus violent; see impetus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for impetuous

adj.

late 14c., "hot-tempered, fierce," from Old French impetuos (13c.) and directly from Late Latin impetuosus "impetuous, violent," from Latin impetus "attack" (see impetus). Related: Impetuously; impetuousness.