impulsive
Americanadjective
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characterized by actions based on sudden desires, whims, or inclinations rather than careful thought
an impulsive man
-
based on emotional impulses or whims; spontaneous
an impulsive kiss
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forceful, inciting, or impelling
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(of physical forces) acting for a short time; not continuous
-
(of a sound) brief, loud, and having a wide frequency range
Related Words
See impetuous.
Other Word Forms
- impulsively adverb
- impulsiveness noun
- impulsivity noun
- nonimpulsive adjective
- nonimpulsively adverb
- unimpulsive adjective
- unimpulsively adverb
Etymology
Origin of impulsive
First recorded in 1375–1425 for an earlier sense; 1545–55 for current senses; late Middle English impulsif, from Medieval Latin impulsīvus; impulse, -ive
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.
Fitting, then, that in “Sentimental Value” she plays the quiet, levelheaded sister serving as the mediator between impulsive Nora and egotistical Gustav.
From Los Angeles Times
Overall, the results challenge the long-standing idea that nova eruptions are single, impulsive events.
From Science Daily
The research team is the first to carry out a systematic analysis of these short, impulsive seismic events near the Barry Landslide.
From Science Daily
He said “the rally is mostly happening in an impulsive way that has almost nothing to do with anything going on in the real world.”
From MarketWatch
Is this the out-of-touch old guard asserting authority, or a young person’s reckless, impulsive mistake?
From Salon
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.
