impetuous
Americanadjective
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liable to act without consideration; rash; impulsive
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resulting from or characterized by rashness or haste
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poetic moving with great force or violence; rushing
the impetuous stream hurtled down the valley
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of impetuous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin impetuōsus, equivalent to Latin impetu(s) “an attack” + -ōsus adjective suffix; see origin at impetus, -ous
Explanation
Someone impetuous acts too hastily or carelessly. Hotheaded, impulsive folks are impetuous. If you're a careful person who thinks everything through and doesn't act rashly, then you're not very impetuous. Impetuous has to do with doing things on the spur of the moment — and not good things. Being impetuous usually goes along with being impatient and easily angered. If you're impetuous, you act quickly and thoughtlessly when you should just take a deep breath, relax, and think about the best thing to do.
Vocabulary lists containing impetuous
100 Top "SAT" Words
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
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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.
"When you come on and your team is losing it gives you that extra impetuous to try and change it."
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
The divide will test the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth, who will have to balance the wishes of an impetuous president with his obligation to shareholders to make prudent investments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
Even here, though, “Resurrection” drills down into something unbearably moving, turning the century’s end into an apocalyptic occurrence, the future perilously uncertain for these impetuous lovers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
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.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
As I think about my impetuous brother, I can imagine him being that young man who made a run for the forest, doing everything he possibly could to try to survive.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
