IMPULSIVE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does impulsive mean? 

• IMPULSIVE (adjective)
  The adjective IMPULSIVE has 5 senses:

1. proceeding from natural feeling or impulse without external stimulus

2. without forethought

3. having the power of driving or impelling

4. determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason

5. characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation

  Familiarity information: IMPULSIVE used as an adjective is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMPULSIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Proceeding from natural feeling or impulse without external stimulus

Synonyms:

impulsive; unprompted

Context example:

an impulsive gesture of affection

Similar:

self-generated; spontaneous (happening or arising without apparent external cause)

Derivation:

impulsiveness (the trait of acting suddenly on impulse without reflection)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Without forethought

Context example:

letting him borrow her car was an impulsive act that she immediately regretted

Similar:

unpremeditated (not premeditated)

Derivation:

impulsiveness (the trait of acting suddenly on impulse without reflection)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Having the power of driving or impelling

Synonyms:

driving; impulsive

Context example:

an impulsive force

Similar:

dynamic; dynamical (characterized by action or forcefulness or force of personality)

Derivation:

impel (urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason

Synonyms:

capricious; impulsive; whimsical

Context example:

the victim of whimsical persecutions

Similar:

arbitrary (based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice)

Derivation:

impulsiveness (the trait of acting suddenly on impulse without reflection)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation

Synonyms:

brainish; hotheaded; impetuous; impulsive; madcap; tearaway

Context example:

madcap escapades

Similar:

incautious (lacking in caution)

Domain usage:

archaicism; archaism (the use of an archaic expression)

Derivation:

impulsiveness (the trait of acting suddenly on impulse without reflection)

 Context examples 

A serious mental illness marked by unstable moods and impulsive behavior.

(Borderline personality disorder, NCI Dictionary)

In medicine, a family of drugs used to treat depression, attention-deficit disorder (a common disorder in which children are inattentive, impulsive, and/or over-active), and narcolepsy (a sleep disorder that causes uncontrollable sleepiness).

(CNS stimulant, NCI Dictionary)

Then with a sudden impulsive gesture he plucked a photograph from his breast-pocket and threw it on the rustic table before us.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It was a letter of mine, Mr. Holmes, an indiscreet letter written before my marriage—a foolish letter, a letter of an impulsive, loving girl.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

On-the-go purchases are often impulsive and can be the result of children pestering their parents.

(Removing sweets and crisps from supermarket checkouts linked to dramatic fall in unhealthy snack purchases, University of Cambridge)

As he sat down beside her, Amy felt shy again, and turned rosy red at the recollection of her impulsive greeting.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

A person who is hyperactive may seem to be always moving or fidgeting, impulsive, unable to concentrate, and talking too much.

(Hyperactivity, NCI Dictionary)

Typically, there is a slow drizzle of escaping electrons, but occasionally impulsive bunches of particles, called microbursts, are scattered out of the belts.

(FIREBIRD II and NASA Mission Locate Whistling Space Electrons’ Origins, NASA)

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by a pattern of hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

(Acetaminophen exposure in pregnancy linked to higher risk of ADHD, autism, National Institutes of Health)

An impulsive stride, with one lurch to right and left of the shoulders, brought him to the table, where he began affectionately handling the books.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)