impulse

1 of 2

noun

im·​pulse ˈim-ˌpəls 

1

a

: a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action

b

: a propensity or natural tendency usually other than rational

2

a

: a wave of excitation transmitted through tissues and especially nerve fibers and muscles that results in physiological activity or inhibition see nerve impulse

b

: the act of driving onward with sudden force : impulsion

c

: motion produced by such an impulsion : impetus

3

a

: pulse sense 4a

b

: the product of the average value of a force and the time during which it acts : the change in momentum produced by the force

4

a

: inspiration, motivation

b

: a force so communicated as to produce motion suddenly

c

: incentive

impulse

2 of 2

verb

im·​pulse ˈim-ˌpəls 

im-ˈpəls

impulsed; impulsing

transitive verb

: to give an impulse to

Synonyms

Noun

• boost
• encouragement
• goad
• impetus
• incentive
• incitation
• incitement
• instigation
• momentum
• motivation
• provocation
• spur
• stimulant
• stimulus
• yeast

Choose the Right Synonym for impulse

motive, impulse, incentive, inducement, spur, goad mean a stimulus to action.

motive implies an emotion or desire operating on the will and causing it to act.

a motive for the crime

impulse suggests a driving power arising from personal temperament or constitution.

buying on impulse

incentive applies to an external influence (such as an expected reward) inciting to action.

a bonus was offered as an incentive

inducement suggests a motive prompted by the deliberate enticements or allurements of another.

offered a watch as an inducement to subscribe

spur applies to a motive that stimulates the faculties or increases energy or ardor.

fear was a spur to action

goad suggests a motive that keeps one going against one's will or desire.

thought insecurity a goad to worker efficiency

Examples of impulse in a Sentence

Noun

He has to learn to control his impulses.

the new auto factory was just the impulse that the local economy needed

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Today, the movies teach us, adults already are overgrown children: creatures of impulse and appetite and development arrested by their immersion in pop culture. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Dec. 2023

That documentary impulse informs Chowdhury’s narrative as well. —Peter Marks, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023

More resources Experts say that such barriers or obstructions can help buy time for someone to intervene or for a person’s suicidal impulse to dissipate. —Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023

But her impulse to use her influence could create headaches for the Carter administration. —Katharine Q. Seelye, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2023

Freud saw it as the driving force behind a person’s impulse to satiate their desires. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023

Interviewing families with ties to both Israel and the Palestinian territories reveals their impulse to see the humanity of all civilians – and a desire for a cease-fire. —Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Nov. 2023

Because as becomes apparent when one of the group drops dead on the first night of their week-long retreat, all of the wealth and power and influence in the world can only do so much to save humanity from its own humanness — from our mortal bodies, our inconvenient feelings, our messy impulses. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Nov. 2023

But also on some way of understanding the mystery the playwright has left us about the power of envy and possessiveness to trigger lethal impulses. —Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023

Verb

With a wide variety of sizes, there's something for just about everyone, from the heads of large households to impulse shoppers at gas stations to parents packing kids' school lunches every morning. —Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN, 14 July 2022

Across six movies and massive advances in visual effects technology, Hollywood has been wrestling with a version of that same craven because-they-can impulse. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 June 2022

According to Gyllander, her audience doesn’t want to impulse-buy products algorithmically served to them between wedding photos. —Leah Prinzivalli, Outside Online, 22 Apr. 2020

Cutler, who frequently posts on the group, says that a lot of posts are from people who have recently impulse-purchased chickens, not knowing what to do with them, and that a lot of the birds being put up for sale are clearly sick. —Dallas News, 22 Apr. 2020

Women displayed way more brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, the region that deals with decision making, focus and impulse control. —Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 8 Aug. 2017

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin impulsus, from impellere to impel

First Known Use

Noun

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing impulse

• nerve impulse
• specific impulse

• nerve impulse
• specific impulse

Kids Definition

impulse

noun

im·​pulse

ˈim-ˌpəls

1

a

: a force that starts a body into motion

b

: the motion produced by an impulse

2

: a sudden stirring up of the mind and spirit to do something

an impulse to run away

buy something on impulse

3

: nerve impulse

4

: pulse entry 2 sense 3a

Medical Definition

impulse

noun

im·​pulse ˈim-ˌpəls 

1

: a wave of excitation transmitted through tissues and especially nerve fibers and muscles that results in physiological activity or inhibition

2

a

: a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action

some uncontrollable impulse … may have driven the defendant to the commission of the murderous act

—B. N. Cardozo

b

: a propensity or natural tendency usually other than rational

the fundamental impulse of self-expression

—Havelock Ellis