Word of the Day

: October 30, 2011

impetuous

adjective im-PECH-uh-wus

What It Means

1 : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion

2 : marked by force and violence of movement or action

impetuous in Context

After graduating college, rather than embark on a career, Tom made the impetuous decision to hitchhike across the country.

"And it's when he's on the radio one day that he's interrupted by a wild-eyed, impetuous and fetching young woman named Baya Benmahmoud…." -- From a film review by David Fellerath in The Independent Weekly (Durham, N.C.), September 21, 2011

Did You Know?

When we borrowed "impetuous" in the late 14th century, we used it of people and their actions. About a hundred years later, we added another sense to describe physical things like wind or storms or seas. (We don't use this second sense much anymore.) The word comes via Middle French from Late Latin "impetuosus," which is from "impetus." Latin "impetus" (which of course gave us our own "impetus," meaning "driving force") essentially means "assault," but it also has figurative senses ranging from "violence" to "ardor." Our "impetuous" has a similar range of meaning, from "violent" to "passionate." It also carries the suggestion of impulsiveness. Often, we put a light touch on the word, as when we refer (somewhat longingly, perhaps) to our "impetuous youth."