impulsive
/ˌɪmˈpʌlsɪv/im-PUHL-siv
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked/ˌɪmˈpʌlsɪv/im-PUHL-siv
Meaningdriven by impulse
Common meaning: acting without thinking
Tap a word part to explore
- imin, into
- pulsto drive, pushLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1326 · scan
- iveadjective ending: tending to
‘in, into’ + ‘to drive, push’ → impulsive
Journey through time
- Latinpellō, pepulī, pulsum‘to drive, push’
- Englishimpulse‘a sudden urge to act’
- Englishformed in English from impulseimpulsive‘acting without thinking’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from impulse + -ive.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), IMPEL, p.283 · scan
Roots
- pellō, pepulī, pulsum Latin “to drive, push”
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