impulsive

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French impulsif, from Latin impulsivus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Adjective

impulsive (comparative more impulsive, superlative most impulsive)

1. Having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent.
   • 1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Alma: Or, The Progress of the Mind”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC:

     Poor men! poor papers! We and they / Do some impulsive force obey.

2. Actuated by impulse or by transient feelings; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration.

   Synonyms: hasty, precipitant, rash

   • 1847 November 1, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie, Boston, Mass.: William D. Ticknor & Company, →OCLC, (please specify either |part=I or II):

     my heart, impulsive and wayward

3. (mechanics) Acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous – said of forces.

Derived terms

• impulsive speech

Related terms

• impulse
• impulsion
• impulsively
• impulsiveness
• impulsor
• impulsory

Translations

having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent

• Afrikaans: impulsief
• Bulgarian: възбуждащ (bg) (vǎzbuždašt), задвижващ (bg) (zadvižvašt)
• Catalan: impulsiu (ca)
• Czech: impulsivní
• Dutch: impulsief (nl)
• Finnish: impulsiivinen (fi)
• French: impulsif (fr)
• Italian: impulsivo (it)
• Portuguese: impulsivo (pt), impelente, impulsor
• Romanian: impulsiv (ro)
• Russian: импульси́вный (ru) (impulʹsívnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: spreigearra
• Spanish: impulsivo (es)
• Turkish: fevri (tr)

actuated by impulse or by transient feelings

• Afrikaans: impulsief
• Bulgarian: импулсен (bg) (impulsen)
• Catalan: impulsiu (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 衝動／冲动 (zh) (chōngdòng)

• Czech: impulsivní
• Danish: impulsiv
• Dutch: impulsief (nl), impulsief (nl)
• Esperanto: facilanima
• Finnish: impulsiivinen (fi)
• French: impulsif (fr)
• German: impulsiv (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ὁρμητικός (hormētikós)

• Icelandic: hvatvís
• Ido: impulsiva (io)
• Irish: tobann
• Italian: impulsivo (it)
• Korean: 충동적인 (chungdongjeogin)
• Maori: ohia, manawarere
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: impulsiv

  Nynorsk: impulsiv

• Portuguese: impulsivo (pt)
• Romanian: impulsiv (ro)
• Russian: импульси́вный (ru) (impulʹsívnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: spreigearra
• Spanish: impulsivo (es)
• Turkish: fevri (tr)

(mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous

• Afrikaans: impulsief
• Bulgarian: импулсен (bg) (impulsen)
• Czech: impulsivní
• Dutch: impulsief (nl)
• Finnish: äkillinen (fi)
• French: impulsif (fr)
• German: impulsiv (de)
• Italian: impulsivo (it)
• Spanish: impulsivo (es)

highly reactive; inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration

• Afrikaans: impulsief
• Bulgarian: импулсивен (bg) (impulsiven)
• Catalan: impulsiu (ca)
• Czech: impulzivní
• Danish: impulsiv
• Dutch: impulsief (nl)
• Esperanto: impulsiĝema
• Finnish: äkkipikainen (fi), impulsiivinen (fi)
• French: impulsif (fr)
• German: impulsiv (de)
• Ido: impulsebla (io)
• Maori: takahorohoro
• Portuguese: impulsivo (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: spreigearra
• Spanish: impulsivo (es)

References

• “impulsive”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “impulsive”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Noun

impulsive (plural impulsives)

1. That which impels or gives an impulse; an impelling agent.
   • 1613, Henry Wotton, letter to Edmund Bacon:

     Notwithstanding all which Motives and impulsives , Sir Thomas Overbury refused to be sent abroad , with such terms

2. One whose behaviour or personality is characterized by being impulsive.

French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

impulsive

1. feminine singular of impulsif

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

impulsive

1. inflection of impulsiv:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

impulsive f pl

1. feminine plural of impulsivo

Latin

Adjective

impulsīve

1. vocative masculine singular of impulsīvus

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

impulsive

1. definite singular/plural of impulsiv

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

impulsive

1. definite singular/plural of impulsiv