impulsive
Americanadjective
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characterized by actions based on sudden desires, whims, or inclinations rather than careful thought
an impulsive man
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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
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(of a sound) brief, loud, and having a wide frequency range
Related Words
See impetuous.
Other Word Forms
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; see origin at impulse, -ive
Explanation
If someone is impulsive, it means that they act on instinct, without thinking decisions through. If you worked for an entire year to save money for a car and then suddenly decided to spend it all on a diamond tiara instead, that would be an impulsive purchase. Impulses are short, quick feelings, and if someone is in the habit of acting on them, they're impulsive. When stores stock chocolate at the checkout line, they are hoping you will impulsively decide to buy it. When you call the person you have a crush on after promising yourself all day to maintain an air of dignified reserve, that's impulsive behavior. We might also call impulsive behavior whimsical or capricious.
Vocabulary lists containing impulsive
List 1
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The Lightning Thief
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Dracula
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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.
Adversaries thought that Turner’s ventures could be reckless and impulsive.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
You won’t fall into a downward spiral of impulsive trading if you require yourself to pause and think before any gamble.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
But during her sentencing ruling Olivier said "it wasn't... an impulsive act. It was the event of the evening," the AFP news agency reports.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
So really, the message here is that we should all be more impulsive and slightly unhinged — Anna ends up living her Tuscan dreams after all.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
He was a lot like his sister, impulsive and generous, but more moody; and though he sometimes had long gloomy spells, he was very talkative when not suffering from these.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
