Synonyms of impulsive

impulsive

adjective

im-ˈpəl-siv 

1

as in obsessive

caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge

an impulsive purchase of a very expensive jacket

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obsessive
• compulsive
• spontaneous
• driven
• obsessional
• instinctive
• automatic
• uncontrollable
• reflex
• irrepressible
• unpredictable
• unconscious
• besetting
• mechanical
• unthinking
• knee-jerk
• whimsical
• capricious
• involuntary
• conditioned
• unwitting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wilful
• voluntary
• willful
• unforced
• controllable
• manageable
• resistible

2

as in volatile

prone to sudden illogical changes of mind, ideas, or actions

an impulsive woman who never seems to have the same opinion about anything for longer than 10 minutes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• volatile
• eccentric
• moody
• capricious
• whimsical
• romantic
• freakish
• impetuous
• willful
• mercurial
• shaky
• wilful
• temperamental
• quirky
• flaky
• arbitrary
• impractical
• erratic
• fickle
• quixotic
• inconstant
• unrealistic
• utopian
• crankish
• irregular
• visionary
• quixotical

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• practical
• pragmatic
• reasonable
• sensible
• equable
• rational
• matter-of-fact
• hardheaded
• logical
• levelheaded
• earthy
• sound
• down-to-earth
• sane
• grounded
• sober
• pragmatical
• commonsensical
• uncompromising
• inflexible
• tough-minded
• fast
• fixed
• unrelenting
• invariable
• unyielding
• constant
• unchangeable
• unbending
• unalterable
• stable
• immutable
• steady
• hard-and-fast
• hard-boiled
• steadfast
• no-nonsense
• unchanging
• unvarying
• established
• changeless
• sobersided
• settled
• set

Synonym Chooser

How is the word impulsive distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of impulsive are automatic, instinctive, mechanical, and spontaneous. While all these words mean "acting or activated without deliberation," impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

In what contexts can automatic take the place of impulsive?

The words automatic and impulsive can be used in similar contexts, but automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

When is instinctive a more appropriate choice than impulsive?

In some situations, the words instinctive and impulsive are roughly equivalent. However, instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

When can mechanical be used instead of impulsive?

Although the words mechanical and impulsive have much in common, mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

When might spontaneous be a better fit than impulsive?

While in some cases nearly identical to impulsive, spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of impulsive

Góra works wonders in making Nel, who is on her home turf and facing the routines of daily life, a practical foil for the ardently impulsive voyager Bethany. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2025

As a consumer advocate, too many of my readers' cases begin with a cocktail – especially the ones involving an impulsive timeshare purchase. —Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025

And youngest son Yoshi is impulsive and highly distractible, forever bouncing from one crazy scheme to the next without considering the consequences. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025

In astrology, it is often associated with confusion, miscommunication, delays, and impulsive decisions. —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025