impetuous

[im-pech-oo-uhs]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive.

   an impetuous decision; an impetuous person.

   Synonyms: headlong, eager
   Antonyms: careful, planned

2. having great impetus; moving with great force; violent.

   the impetuous winds.

impetuous

/ ɪmˈpɛtjʊəs, ɪmˌpɛtjʊˈɒsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. liable to act without consideration; rash; impulsive

2. resulting from or characterized by rashness or haste

3. poetic,  moving with great force or violence; rushing

   the impetuous stream hurtled down the valley

Other Word Forms

• impetuously adverb
• impetuousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of impetuous¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin impetuōsus, equivalent to Latin impetu(s) “an attack” + -ōsus adjective suffix; impetus, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of impetuous¹

C14: from Late Latin impetuōsus violent; see _impetus

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

He distanced himself from his impetuous comments of recent weeks, when he described his season with Ferrari as "a nightmare" and said he was not looking forward to 2026.

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Dutiful Meg paradoxically longs for leisure and fashionable clothes; impetuous Jo yearns for literary fame; shy, music-loving Beth wishes only for everyone to be happy; artistic Amy craves admiration and status.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“The babies’ breathing,” he writes, “was impetuous, nervous, uneven, but the mothers’ slow worldly sighs, forceful and vaguely wise, got to me, straight to the heart.”

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Their work has been seen as reflecting their vastly different personas—Manet the dashing, witty, impetuous flâneur; Morisot the reserved, intelligent and exceedingly decorous bourgeoise—through the lens of their separate worlds.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This new Angie is as impetuous, brash, willful and secretive as the original.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ardent 
• impulsive