impulse

1 something that arouses action or activity the new auto factory was just the impulse that the local economy needed Synonyms boost, encouragement, goad, impetus, incentive, incitation, incitement, instigation, momentum, motivation, provocation, spur, stimulant, stimulus, yeast Related Words inducement, invitation; antecedent, cause, consideration, grounds, motive, occasion, reason; catalyst, catalyzer, fuel, spark Phrases shot in the arm Antonyms counterincentive, disincentive

2 a habitual attraction to some activity or thing the universal, fundamental impulse of self-preservation Synonyms affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turnRelated Words favor, one-sidedness, partisanship, prejudice; endowment, faculty, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent; addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste; forte, speciality, specialty; convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice (also practise), routine, trick, way, wont; eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularityNear Antonyms allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste; detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity; apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern