impulse

1 of 2

noun

im·​pulse ˈim-ˌpəls How to pronounce impulse (audio)
1
a
: a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action
b
: a propensity or natural tendency usually other than rational
2
a
: a wave of excitation transmitted through tissues and especially nerve fibers and muscles that results in physiological activity or inhibition see nerve impulse
b
: the act of driving onward with sudden force : impulsion
c
: motion produced by such an impulsion : impetus
3
b
: the product of the average value of a force and the time during which it acts : the change in momentum produced by the force
4
b
: a force so communicated as to produce motion suddenly
c

impulse

2 of 2

verb

im·​pulse ˈim-ˌpəls How to pronounce impulse (audio)
im-ˈpəls
impulsed; impulsing

transitive verb

: to give an impulse to
Choose the Right Synonym for impulse

motive, impulse, incentive, inducement, spur, goad mean a stimulus to action.

motive implies an emotion or desire operating on the will and causing it to act.

a motive for the crime

impulse suggests a driving power arising from personal temperament or constitution.

buying on impulse

incentive applies to an external influence (such as an expected reward) inciting to action.

a bonus was offered as an incentive

inducement suggests a motive prompted by the deliberate enticements or allurements of another.

offered a watch as an inducement to subscribe

spur applies to a motive that stimulates the faculties or increases energy or ardor.

fear was a spur to action

goad suggests a motive that keeps one going against one's will or desire.

thought insecurity a goad to worker efficiency

Examples of impulse in a Sentence

Noun He has to learn to control his impulses. the new auto factory was just the impulse that the local economy needed
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Even so, the impulse to nationalize the problem will have its own, infelicitous effects. Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 As well as offering good value for money, Costco also provides a ‘treasure hunt’ experience, which encourages impulse buying among customers. Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 Over the last nine months, Gen Z trend forecaster Casey Lewis started to notice a centuries-old impulse surging on social media. Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 For her, the act of being filmed triggered an impulse to perform. Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Productivity growth means the GDP is growing and the impulse to fire employees is going to be lower. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Usually, the brain sends signals through the electrical impulses and the release of neurotransmitters between cells. Eryn Brown, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Those affections persisted, because the impulse to find an alternative to America’s democracy persisted. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2024 Resisting the impulse to increase your cloud capacity too much is a straightforward but impactful course of action. Rodrigo Madanes, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
With a wide variety of sizes, there's something for just about everyone, from the heads of large households to impulse shoppers at gas stations to parents packing kids' school lunches every morning. Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN, 14 July 2022 Across six movies and massive advances in visual effects technology, Hollywood has been wrestling with a version of that same craven because-they-can impulse. Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 June 2022 According to Gyllander, her audience doesn’t want to impulse-buy products algorithmically served to them between wedding photos. Leah Prinzivalli, Outside Online, 22 Apr. 2020 Cutler, who frequently posts on the group, says that a lot of posts are from people who have recently impulse-purchased chickens, not knowing what to do with them, and that a lot of the birds being put up for sale are clearly sick. Dallas News, 22 Apr. 2020 Women displayed way more brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, the region that deals with decision making, focus and impulse control. Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 8 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impulse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin impulsus, from impellere to impel

First Known Use

Noun

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impulse was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near impulse

Cite this Entry

“Impulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impulse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

impulse

noun
im·​pulse
ˈim-ˌpəls
1
a
: a force that starts a body into motion
b
: the motion produced by an impulse
2
: a sudden stirring up of the mind and spirit to do something
an impulse to run away
buy something on impulse
3
4

Medical Definition

impulse

noun
im·​pulse ˈim-ˌpəls How to pronounce impulse (audio)
1
: a wave of excitation transmitted through tissues and especially nerve fibers and muscles that results in physiological activity or inhibition
2
a
: a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action
some uncontrollable impulse … may have driven the defendant to the commission of the murderous actB. N. Cardozo
b
: a propensity or natural tendency usually other than rational
the fundamental impulse of self-expressionHavelock Ellis

More from Merriam-Webster on impulse

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