impulsive
Americanadjective
-
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
-
forceful, inciting, or impelling
-
(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.
The initial results didn’t describe me: difficulty holding down a job; impulsive; unfinished projects; car accidents; a life of chaos!
"The patient is mostly angry, impulsive, bitter," she says, reading some of the first notes her therapist wrote about their sessions.
From BBC
She added: "Conservation must be guided by science, collaboration and long-term planning – not by impulsive actions, no matter how well-intentioned they may be."
From BBC
The king in the play is brave and impulsive.
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
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.
