Dictionary

impulsive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French impulsif, from Latin impulsivus.

Meanings

1. Having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent.
   • Poor men! poor papers! We and they / Do some impulsive force obey. 1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Alma: Or, The Progress of the Mind”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC:
2. Actuated by impulse or by transient feelings; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration.
   • my heart, impulsive and wayward 1847 November 1, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie, Boston, Mass.: William D. Ticknor & Company, →OCLC, (please specify either |part=I or II):
   • Americans are not libertarians in the Cato Institute sense of the word, but they are folk libertarians in this sense of impulsive behaviour, which is a feature of American life that anyone who wants to govern the United States, Democratic or Republican, has to be aware of. 2025 April 28, Ross Douthat, Nick Adams, “Condition of America”, in New Left Review, number 152, →ISSN:
3. Of a force, acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous.

Forms

Deriveds

impulsivity · impulsive speech · nonimpulsive · unimpulsive

Relateds

impulsory · impulsion · impulse · impulsively · impulsor · impulsiveness

Synonyms

precipitant · impetuous · rash · hasty

Translations (74)

de impulsiv (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · ro impulsiv (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · gd spreigearra (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · io impulsiva (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · pt impulsivo (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · pt impelente (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · nn impulsiv (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · grc ὁρμητικός (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · ga tobann (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · es impulsivo ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · fi impulsiivinen (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · fr impulsif (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · af impulsief (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · nl impulsief (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · da impulsiv (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · tr fevri (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · is hvatvís (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · af impulsief (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · fi impulsiivinen (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · nl impulsief (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · ca impulsiu (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · fr impulsif (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · pt impulsivo (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · fi äkkipikainen (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · pt impulsivo (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · cs impulzivní (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · eo impulsiva (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · mi takahorohoro (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · es impulsivo (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · lo ຫຸນຫັນ (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · fi äkillinen ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · eo impulsema (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · nb impulsiv (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · ru импульси́вный (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · it impulsivo (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · cs impulsivní ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · cs impulsivní (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · ru импульси́вный (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · gd spreigearra (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · cs impulsivní (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · fr impulsif (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · bg импулсен (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · de impulsiv ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · io impulsebla (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · eo impulsiĝema (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · gd spreigearra (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · mi ohia (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · af impulsief ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · bg импулсивен (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · es impulsivo (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · de impulsiv (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · tr fevri (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · bg импулсен ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · af impulsief (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · nl impulsief (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · ca impulsiu (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · da impulsiv (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · nl impulsief ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · fi impulsiivinen (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · ko 충동적인 (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · cmn 衝動 /冲动 (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · pt impulsor (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · ca impulsiu (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · eo facilanima (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · mi manawarere (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · it impulsivo (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · bg възбуждащ (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · bg задвижващ (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent) · th หุนหัน (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · fr impulsif ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · ota دلی (highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration) · es impulsivo (actuated by impulse or by transient feelings) · it impulsivo ((mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous) · ro impulsiv (having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent)

impulsive en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French impulsif, from Latin impulsivus.

Meanings

1. That which impels or gives an impulse; an impelling agent.
   • Notwithstanding all which Motives and impulsives , Sir Thomas Overbury refused to be sent abroad , with such terms 1613, Henry Wotton, letter to Edmund Bacon:
2. One whose behaviour or personality is characterized by being impulsive.

Forms