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.
As he or she is surrounded by staffers with expertise, the boss’s insecurity can lead to a series of impetuous decisions.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
"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
Julia, a successful businesswoman in textile design, knows that her father will be alarmed at this impetuous engagement and will want to make sure that Johnny isn’t a gold digger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
This new Angie is as impetuous, brash, willful and secretive as the original.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025
The reckless passion of the heroine, Arabella, for a wicked foreign count is punished by ill fortune when she contracts cholera during an impetuous dash toward a seaside town with her intended.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
