impulsive

1 of 2

adjective

im·​pul·​sive im-ˈpəl-siv How to pronounce impulsive (audio)
Synonyms of impulsive
1
a
: arising from an impulse
an impulsive decision
b
: prone to act on impulse
an impulsive young man who often regrets his actions later
2
: acting momentarily
3
: having the power of or actually driving or impelling
an impulsive force
impulsively adverb
impulsiveness noun
impulsivity
im-ˌpəl-ˈsi-və-tē How to pronounce impulsive (audio)
noun

impulsiveness

2 of 2

noun

im·​pul·​sive·​ness
|ivnə̇s, 
|ēv- also |əv-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being impulsive
the impulsiveness with which he took up attractive theories—H. E. Scudder

Synonyms of impulsive

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for impulsive

spontaneous, impulsive, instinctive, automatic, mechanical mean acting or activated without deliberation.

spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

Examples of impulsive in a Sentence

Adjective I couldn't make out exactly what had happened, though I could guess how it started—the two of them talking, kidding around when Mrs. Ramsey came down to the library basement to file some periodicals, an impulsive kiss in the stacks … —Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003
There was an odd nobility, a knight-errant quality, about Alan—in his willingness to suffer for the sake of life itself, in his tendency to view himself under harsher light than he would turn on others, in his impulsive generosity. —Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999
So speaks Maude Bailey, the celibate feminist scholar heroine of A. S. Byatt's fifth novel, as, in an impulsive collusion with a male scholar she scarcely knows, she runs off to Brittany. —Joyce Carol Oates, Vogue, November 1990
She's impulsive and often does things that she later regrets. He needs to learn to control his impulsive behavior. She made an impulsive decision to quit her job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
In both cases, the act was an impulsive, existential response with no single cause. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026 The series follows Ada, an impulsive police officer and former urban-acrobatics expert who investigates a gang of stunt performers specializing in stealing luxury cargo from trucks travelling at high speed. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 July 2026 Consequently, Oreana convinces Carter to run away with her without telling him the reason behind the impulsive decision. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2026 Franklyn Seales played Dexter, Edward's hardworking business partner, who was often left to clean up his impulsive counterpart's messes. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for impulsive

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see impulse entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of impulsive was in the 15th century

Rhymes for impulsive

See All Rhymes for impulsive

Browse Nearby Words

impulsion
impulsive
impulsively
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Cite this Entry

“Impulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impulsive. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

impulsive

adjective
im·​pul·​sive im-ˈpəl-siv How to pronounce impulsive (audio)
1
: acting or tending to act on impulse
2
: resulting from a sudden impulse
impulsively adverb
impulsiveness noun

Medical Definition

impulsive

adjective
im·​pul·​sive im-ˈpəl-siv How to pronounce impulsive (audio)
1
: having the power of or actually driving or impelling
2
: actuated by or prone to act on impulse
impulsive behavior
3
: acting momentarily
brief impulsive auditory stimuli
impulsively adverb
impulsiveness noun
impulsivity
-ˌpəl-ˈsiv-ət-ē How to pronounce impulsive (audio)
noun
plural impulsivities

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