Definition of 'impulsive'
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
You may also like
Word Frequency
impulsive in British English
adjective
1.
characterized by actions based on sudden desires, whims, or inclinations rather than careful thought
an impulsive man
4.
(of physical forces) acting for a short time; not continuous
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
impulsively (imˈpulsively) adverb
impulsiveness (imˈpulsiveness)
noun
Word Frequency
impulsive in American English
adjective
1.
impelling; driving forward
2.
b.
produced by or resulting from a sudden impulse
an impulsive remark
3. Mechanics
acting briefly and as a result of impulse
SIMILAR WORDS: sponˈtaneous
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
impulsively (imˈpulsively)
adverb
impulsiveness (imˈpulsiveness)
noun
Word Frequency
impulsive in American English
(ɪmˈpʌlsɪv)
adjective
SYNONYMS 1. rash, quick, hasty. See impetuous.2.
having the power or effect of impelling; characterized by impulsion
impulsive forces
3.
inciting to action
the impulsive effects of a revolutionary idea
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
impulsively adverb
impulsiveness or impulsivity
noun
Examples of 'impulsive' in a sentence
impulsive
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins.
We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more…
Trends of
impulsive
View usage for:
Source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
In other languages
impulsive
British English: impulsive
ADJECTIVE /ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/
If you describe someone as impulsive, you mean that they do things suddenly without thinking about them carefully first.
He is too impulsive to be a responsible prime minister.
Browse alphabetically
impulsive
Related terms of
impulsive
Source
Definition of impulsive from the Collins English Dictionary
Read about the team of authors behind Collins Dictionaries.
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
SPORTS
Drag the correct answer into the box.
volleyball
football
baseball
shotput
SPORTS
Drag the correct answer into the box.
horseracing
darts
golf
hockey
Your score:
Word of the day
holobenthic
(of an animal) completing its life cycle in the ocean depths
Latest Word Submissions
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
FARM ANIMALS
Drag the correct answer into the box.
chicken
bull
donkey
goose
Your score:
Learning English: Apostrophes
This week's Learning English blog is all about apostrophes - find out more about how this small but crucial punctuation mark is used in English.
Read more
Environment Day 2024
To mark Environment Day 2024, we consider just a few of the words we use to speak about the world around us and the ecological issues we face today.
Read more
Learning English: the time
Time for a new Learning English blog! Learn more about how to tell the time and how to answer 'when' questions in English.
Read more
Learning English: Months of the year
Learn how to speak about the months of the year, and give information about important dates. Improve your English with Collins.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more