Impulse

/ˈɪmpʌls/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A sudden wish or urge to act without premeditation.

She acted on impulse and bought the expensive dress.

A driving or motivating force; an influence.

His creative impulse led him to write a novel.

A short electrical signal that conveys information or stimulates action.

The doctor explained that the brain transmits impulses to control movements.

verb

To stimulate or move to action.

The advertisement was designed to impulse customers to make a purchase.

From Latin 'impulsus', meaning 'a push' or 'a driving force'.

act on impulse

To act suddenly without thinking about the consequences.

follow your impulses

To listen to and act on your natural desires or urges.

impulse buy

An unplanned purchase made in the moment.

instinct

An innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior in animals in response to certain stimuli.

compulsion

An irresistible urge to behave in a certain way, often against one's conscious wishes.

Acting without thinking.

That was such an impulse move.

Doing something on a whim.

She made an impulse decision to travel.