 impulsive |
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| 1. | [ adjective ] determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason | |
| Synonyms: | whimsical capricious | |
| Examples: | "a capricious refusal" "authoritarian rulers are frequently capricious" "the victim of whimsical persecutions" |
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| Related terms: | arbitrary | |
| 2. | [ adjective ] having the power of driving or impelling | |
| Synonyms: | driving | |
| Examples: | "a driving personal ambition" "the driving force was his innate enthusiasm" "an impulsive force" |
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| Related terms: | dynamic | |
| 3. | [ adjective ] without forethought | |
| Examples: | "letting him borrow her car was an impulsive act that she immediately regretted" |
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| Related terms: | unpremeditated | |
| 4. | [ adjective ] proceeding from natural feeling or impulse without external stimulus | |
| Synonyms: | unprompted | |
| Examples: | "an impulsive gesture of affection" |
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| Related terms: | spontaneous | |
| 5. | [ adjective ] characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation | |
| Synonyms: | impetuous tearaway madcap brainish hotheaded | |
| Examples: | "a hotheaded decision" "liable to such impulsive acts as hugging strangers" "an impetuous display of spending and gambling" "madcap escapades" (`brainish' is archaic) |
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| Related terms: | archaism incautious | |
| Similar spelling: |
impulsively impulse impulsion impulse-buy |
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