as in capriciousness
an inclination to sudden illogical changes of mind, ideas, or actions
his irrepressible impulsiveness sometimes got him into trouble
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Recent Examples of impulsiveness
That impulsiveness was on display last year when the president pushed the Texas state legislature to gerrymander its electoral maps before the midterms in the hope of maintaining Republican control of Congress.
—
Jason Willick, Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Malcolm's daughter is struggling in life and school, but her father's genetic toolkit only has belligerence, impulsiveness and thickheadedness, passed on by his on-screen parents.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
Ortiz and Brown take on Bebo and Lola portraying the impulsiveness of youth, exacerbated, particularly in Bebo’s case, by poverty and limited options to make his way in the world.
—Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
Montse is intuition, strength, impulsiveness and heart.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Paranoia’s impulsiveness, fixation, and self consciousness are mirrored in romance as a desire to be perceived in a particular way by a specific audience, a curiosity to uncover something deeper and more vital, and the desire to disappear into a world safe from outside perceptions.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
The novel Elphie follows the witch from infancy, shaped by her mother Melena’s impulsiveness and her father Frex’s stern piety, and navigating the jealousies that arise with the arrivals of her siblings, Nessarose and Shell.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
But will his personal interests and impulsiveness keep him from his goal?
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
Some viewers find her impulsiveness more irritating than endearing.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Jason Willick, Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Malcolm's daughter is struggling in life and school, but her father's genetic toolkit only has belligerence, impulsiveness and thickheadedness, passed on by his on-screen parents.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
Ortiz and Brown take on Bebo and Lola portraying the impulsiveness of youth, exacerbated, particularly in Bebo’s case, by poverty and limited options to make his way in the world.
—Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
Montse is intuition, strength, impulsiveness and heart.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Paranoia’s impulsiveness, fixation, and self consciousness are mirrored in romance as a desire to be perceived in a particular way by a specific audience, a curiosity to uncover something deeper and more vital, and the desire to disappear into a world safe from outside perceptions.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
The novel Elphie follows the witch from infancy, shaped by her mother Melena’s impulsiveness and her father Frex’s stern piety, and navigating the jealousies that arise with the arrivals of her siblings, Nessarose and Shell.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
But will his personal interests and impulsiveness keep him from his goal?
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
Some viewers find her impulsiveness more irritating than endearing.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulsiveness
Noun
-
Her capriciousness leads her into an affair with a frustrated professor, Mark (Michael Angarano), who compliments her writing and composes pretentious, backhandedly insulting poems about their not-quite-love.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Whether out of arrogance, capriciousness, or collective amnesia, this recent history was ignored.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Leaders win by using AI for smart defaults, then deliberately injecting serendipity, live unpredictability and human imperfection.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
-
Living in a state known for beauty and unpredictability, mothers in Florida learn how to balance joy with preparedness.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Of course, in addition to being perfect by becoming a doctor, John had selected, despite her eccentricities, the perfect mate in their parents’ eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
Still, even an understanding of Turner’s eccentricities didn’t prepare the Braves to learn the morning of their game against Pittsburgh that the team’s owner was now the manager.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impulsiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulsiveness. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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