impulse
B2Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act.
A driving force or motivation; a pulse or wave of energy, especially in physics; a signal characterized by its brevity in time.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word straddles concrete (physics, biology) and abstract (psychology, behaviour) domains. The core sense implies a lack of premeditation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Very minor. 'Impulse buy' is common in both. Slight preference for 'on impulse' (more formal) vs. 'impulsively' in UK English, while both are equally common in US English.
Connotations
In psychology/behavioural contexts, equally neutral/slightly negative. In physics/engineering, purely technical in both.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both varieties across all registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to have an impulse to + INFto act on (an) impulsean impulse for + NOUNunder the impulse of + NOUNVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On impulse”
- “Impulse buyer”
- “Impulse shopping”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'Impulse purchase' is a key retail term for unplanned buying.
Academic
Used in neuroscience ('neural impulse'), physics ('momentum impulse'), and psychology ('behavioural impulse').
Everyday
Most commonly describes spontaneous actions or decisions ('I bought it on impulse').
Technical
In electronics/signal processing: a brief, high-amplitude signal; in mechanics: the integral of force over time.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- No direct verb form. Use 'to impel' or 'to act on impulse'. Example: He was impelled by a sudden impulse.
American English
- No direct verb form. Use 'to give impulse to' or 'to act impulsively'. Example: Curiosity gave impulse to her investigation.
adverb
British English
- Impulsively (adv): She bought the dress impulsively.
American English
- Impulsively (adv): He answered the question impulsively, without thinking.
adjective
British English
- Impulsive (adj): He made an impulsive decision to travel.
American English
- Impulsive (adj): Her impulsive remark got her in trouble.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I bought chocolate on impulse.
- He had an impulse to laugh.
- She resisted the impulse to check her phone.
- Nerve impulses travel very fast.
- The new shop layout is designed to encourage impulse purchases.
- He acted purely on impulse, with no thought for the consequences.
- The artist described her work as following a creative impulse that defies rational analysis.
- The rocket's guidance system corrected its course via a series of minute thrust impulses.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine IMP-ULSE: a mischievous IMP gives you a sudden PULSE (push) to do something without thinking.
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPULSE IS A FORCE/PUSH (to resist an impulse, under the impulse of curiosity).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque from 'импульс' for non-physical urges. Russian 'импульс' is broader in physics but narrower in psychology. For 'spur-of-the-moment', use 'спонтанный', not 'импульсивный' which is an adjective.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'impulse' as a verb directly (incorrect: *'He impulsed me to do it'; correct: 'He gave me an impulse to do it' or 'He impulsively...'). Confusing 'impulse' (noun) with 'impulsive' (adj).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes an 'impulse' in a psychological context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is context-dependent. In retail ('impulse buy'), it's neutral. In psychology ('poor impulse control'), it can be negative. In physics, it is purely technical and neutral.
No, 'impulse' is primarily a noun. The related adjective is 'impulsive' and the adverb is 'impulsively'. The verb 'to impel' is distantly related in etymology but not used interchangeably.
'Urge' is a more general term for a strong desire. 'Impulse' specifically emphasises the suddenness and often lack of conscious thought behind the urge. All impulses are urges, but not all urges are impulses (e.g., a persistent urge to quit smoking).
Both are acceptable and mean the same thing. 'On impulse' is slightly more common and fixed in phrases like 'bought on impulse'. 'On an impulse' is also correct but less frequent.