impulsive

1 of 2

adjective

im·​pul·​sive im-ˈpəl-siv 

1

a

: arising from an impulse

an impulsive decision

b

: prone to act on impulse

an impulsive young man who often regrets his actions later

2

: acting momentarily

3

: having the power of or actually driving or impelling

an impulsive force

impulsively adverb

impulsiveness noun

impulsivity

im-ˌpəl-ˈsi-və-tē 

noun

impulsiveness

2 of 2

noun

im·​pul·​sive·​ness

|ivnə̇s, 

|ēv- also |əv-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being impulsive

the impulsiveness with which he took up attractive theories

—H. E. Scudder

Synonyms of impulsive

Adjective

• obsessive
• compulsive
• spontaneous

Choose the Right Synonym for impulsive

spontaneous, impulsive, instinctive, automatic, mechanical mean acting or activated without deliberation.

spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

Examples of impulsive in a Sentence

Adjective

I couldn't make out exactly what had happened, though I could guess how it started—the two of them talking, kidding around when Mrs. Ramsey came down to the library basement to file some periodicals, an impulsive kiss in the stacks … —Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003

There was an odd nobility, a knight-errant quality, about Alan—in his willingness to suffer for the sake of life itself, in his tendency to view himself under harsher light than he would turn on others, in his impulsive generosity. —Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999

So speaks Maude Bailey, the celibate feminist scholar heroine of A. S. Byatt's fifth novel, as, in an impulsive collusion with a male scholar she scarcely knows, she runs off to Brittany. —Joyce Carol Oates, Vogue, November 1990

She's impulsive and often does things that she later regrets.

He needs to learn to control his impulsive behavior.

She made an impulsive decision to quit her job.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And at a time when nothing traveled faster than a horse or ship, the sheer size of the new country meant that news spread slowly, an obstacle to impulsive public decisions. —Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026

Mickey Todiwala Leaving software engineering wasn't an impulsive decision. —Mike Winters mickey Todiwala, CNBC, 4 June 2026

What moved me most in The Testaments was its cast of teenage girls — the Plums seemed to be sparkling, creative, impulsive, curious, deeply loyal, and ready to question the world around them. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 June 2026

With most rappers, the freestyle might read as impulsive. —Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see impulse entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for impulsive

• compulsive
• convulsive
• expulsive
• propulsive
• repulsive
• electroconvulsive

Kids Definition

impulsive

adjective

im·​pul·​sive im-ˈpəl-siv 

1

: acting or tending to act on impulse

2

: resulting from a sudden impulse

impulsively adverb

impulsiveness noun

Medical Definition

impulsive

adjective

im·​pul·​sive im-ˈpəl-siv 

1

: having the power of or actually driving or impelling

2

: actuated by or prone to act on impulse

impulsive behavior

3

: acting momentarily

brief impulsive auditory stimuli

impulsively adverb

impulsiveness noun

impulsivity

-ˌpəl-ˈsiv-ət-ē 

noun

plural impulsivities