impulse
noun/ˈɪmpʌls/
/ˈɪmpʌls/
- [countable, usually singular, uncountable] impulse (to do something) a sudden strong wish or need to do something, without stopping to think about the results
- He had a sudden impulse to stand up and sing.
- I resisted the impulse to laugh.
- Her first impulse was to run away.
- on (an) impulse The door was open and on (an) impulse she went inside.
- He tends to act on impulse.
Extra Examples- Acting on impulse, he picked up the keys and slipped them into his pocket.
- She gave in to an impulse and took the money.
- We are all subject to aggressive impulses.
- He fought down an impulse to scream.
- She felt a sudden impulse to look to her left.
- On an impulse, I went in and bought a box of chocolates.
- Some people will buy a pet on impulse without any idea of what is involved.
- Supermarkets sell candy as impulse items at the checkout counter.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- strong
- irresistible
- first
- …
- feel
- have
- be subject to
- …
- buy
- purchase
- item
- …
- on (an) impulse
- impulse towards/toward
- [countable] (specialist) a force or movement of energy that causes something else to react
- nerve/electrical impulses
- The impulse is conducted along the length of the wire.
Extra Examples- Radio waves are converted into electrical impulses.
- Nerve impulses are transmitted to the brain.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- electrical
- nerve
- neural
- …
- generate
- send
- transmit
- …
- [countable, usually singular, uncountable] (formal) something that causes somebody/something to do something or to develop and make progress
- to give an impulse to the struggling car industry
- He was motivated by the impulse for social reform.
Extra Examples- the political impulses towards joining a trade union
- the impulse that prompted economic change
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- democratic
- political
- religious
- …
- lead (somebody/something) to something
- prompt somebody/something (to do something)
- impulse behind
- impulse for
- impulse towards/toward
- …
Word Originearly 17th cent. (as a verb in the sense ‘give an impulse to’): the verb from Latin impuls- ‘driven on’, the noun from impulsus ‘impulsion’, both from the verb impellere, from in- ‘towards’ + pellere ‘to drive’.
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impulse