Meaning & Definition of Impulse in English
English⟶
Impulse
/ɪmpəls/
noun
1. An instinctive motive
- "Profound religious impulses"
synonym:
- urge,
- impulse
2. A sudden desire
- "He bought it on an impulse"
synonym:
- caprice,
- impulse,
- whim
3. The electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber
- "They demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"
synonym:
- nerve impulse,
- nervous impulse,
- neural impulse,
- impulse
4. (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
- "The pulsations seemed to be coming from a star"
synonym:
- pulsation,
- pulsing,
- pulse,
- impulse
5. The act of applying force suddenly
- "The impulse knocked him over"
synonym:
- impulse,
- impulsion,
- impetus
6. An impelling force or strength
- "The car's momentum carried it off the road"
synonym:
- momentum,
- impulse
Examples of using
He went out, yielding to a sudden impulse.
It was hard to resist the impulse to wring Tom's neck.
He told his wife not to buy on impulse.