Definition of 'impetuous'
adjective
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
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Word Frequency
impetuous in British English
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
impetuously (imˈpetuously) adverb
Word origin
C14: from Late Latin impetuōsus violent; see impetusWord Frequency
impetuous in American English
adjective
2.
acting or done suddenly with little thought; rash; impulsive
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈsudden
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
impetuously (imˈpetuously)
adverb
impetuousness (imˈpetuousness)
noun
Word Frequency
impetuous in American English
(ɪmˈpetʃuːəs)
adjective
SYNONYMS 1. eager, headlong. impetuous, impulsive both refer to persons who are hasty and precipitate in action, or to actions not
preceded by thought. impetuous suggests eagerness, violence, rashness: impetuous vivacity; impetuous desire; impetuous words. impulsive emphasizes spontaneity and lack of reflection: an impulsive act of generosity. ANTONYMS 1. planned, careful.1.
an impetuous decision
an impetuous person
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
impetuously adverb
impetuousness
noun
Word origin
[1350–1400; ME ‹ AF ‹ LL impetuōsus, equiv. to L impetu(s) impetus + -ōsus -ous]Examples of 'impetuous' in a sentence
impetuous
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