IMPULSE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for IMPULSE?

Need another word that means the same as “impulse”? Find 33 synonyms and 30 related words for “impulse” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Impulse” are: nerve impulse, momentum, caprice, whim, impetus, impulsion, urge, pulsation, pulse, pulsing, instinct, drive, compulsion, need, itch, spontaneity, impetuosity, wildness, recklessness, irresponsibility, rashness, inspiration, stimulation, stimulus, incitement, motivation, encouragement, fillip, spur, prod, catalyst, current, wave

Impulse as a Noun

Definitions of "Impulse" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “impulse” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• The tendency to act impulsively.
• (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients.
• A sudden desire.
• Something that causes something to happen or happen more quickly; an impetus.
• A sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients.
• The act of applying force suddenly.
• An impelling force or strength.
• A force acting briefly on a body and producing a finite change of momentum.
• A pulse of electrical energy; a brief current.
• A sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act.
• An instinctive motive.
• A change of momentum produced by an impulse, equivalent to the average value of the force multiplied by the time during which it acts.
• The electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber.

Synonyms of "Impulse" as a noun (33 Words)

caprice	A sudden desire. The caprices of the electorate.
catalyst	A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. The prime minister s speech acted as a catalyst for debate.
compulsion	An urge to do or say something that might be better left undone or unsaid. Her compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly.
current	The general tendency or course of events or opinion. Magnetic fields are produced by currents flowing in the cables.
drive	Hitting a golf ball off of a tee with a driver. They parked in the driveway.
encouragement	The act of giving hope or support to someone. Incentives and encouragement to play sports.
fillip	Anything that tends to arouse. The halving of car tax would provide a fillip to sales.
impetuosity	Rash impulsiveness.
impetus	Something that makes a process or activity happen or happen more quickly. Hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus.
impulsion	The motive or influence behind an action or process. Attitudes changed under the impulsion of humanitarian considerations.
incitement	Something that incites or provokes; a means of arousing or stirring to action. This amounted to an incitement to commit murder.
inspiration	A special influence of a divinity on the minds of human beings. Helen had one of her flashes of inspiration.
instinct	The fact or quality of possessing innate behaviour patterns. They retain their old authoritarian instincts.
irresponsibility	A form of untrustworthiness; the trait of lacking a sense of responsibility and not feeling accountable for your actions. The economic ills are a consequence of greed and irresponsibility.
itch	A skin disease or condition of which itching is a symptom. An itch to write fiction.
momentum	The quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity. The vehicle gained momentum as the road dipped.
motivation	The act of motivating; providing incentive. Escape can be a strong motivation for travel.
need	The state of requiring help, or of lacking basic necessities such as food. God has no need of men to accomplish His work.
nerve impulse	The courage to carry on.
pulsation	A periodically recurring phenomenon that alternately increases and decreases some quantity. The pulsations seemed to be coming from a star.
pulse	The central point of energy and organization in an area or activity. The doctor found a faint pulse.
pulsing	The rate at which the heart beats; usually measured to obtain a quick evaluation of a person’s health.
rashness	A series of unexpected and unpleasant occurrences.
recklessness	Lack of regard for the danger or consequences of one’s actions; rashness. To fire a loaded shotgun was an act of utmost recklessness.
spontaneity	The quality of being spontaneous and coming from natural feelings without constraint. She occasionally tore up her usual schedule in favour of spontaneity.
spur	A device with a small spike or a spiked wheel that is worn on a rider’s heel and used for urging a horse forward. Wars act as a spur to practical invention.
stimulation	The act of arousing an organism to action. Intense transcutaneous electrical stimulations.
stimulus	A thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue. She loved the stimulus of the job.
urge	A strong restless desire. Sexual urges.
wave	A shape regarded as resembling a breaking wave. A wave of settlers.
whim	An odd or fanciful or capricious idea. He appeared and disappeared at whim.
wildness	The property of being wild or turbulent. Conflict between civilization and the wildness of nature.

Usage Examples of "Impulse" as a noun

• The impulse knocked him over.
• He was a man of impulse, not premeditation.
• Electrical impulses.
• I had an almost irresistible impulse to giggle.
• They demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus.
• Ability to communicate motion by impulse.
• Profound religious impulses.
• Nerve impulses.
• An added impulse to this process of renewal.
• He bought it on an impulse.

Associations of "Impulse" (30 Words)

arbitrary	Based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice. An arbitrary choice.
caprice	A sudden desire. A land where men were ruled by law and not by caprice.
capricious	Changeable. Authoritarian rulers are frequently capricious.
compulsive	A person with a compulsive disposition someone who feels compelled to do certain things. Compulsive eating.
fickle	Liable to sudden unpredictable change. Fickle friends.
force	Urge or force a person to an action constrain or motivate. The universities were forced to cut staff.
haphazard	Marked by great carelessness. The Prime Minister was wearing a grey suit and a white shirt with a soft collar but his neck had become thinner and the collar stood away from it as if it had been bought haphazard.
impel	Urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate. A lack of equality impelled the oppressed to fight.
impetuosity	Rash impulsiveness.
impetuous	Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation; (`brainish’ is archaic. She might live to rue this impetuous decision.
impetus	The force or energy with which a body moves. Hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus.
impulsive	Acting or done without forethought. An impulsive force.
kleptomania	An irresistible impulse to steal in the absence of any economic motive.
madcap	Done without considering the consequences; foolish or reckless. A surreal madcap novel.
momentum	The impetus and driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events. The investigation gathered momentum in the spring.
motivation	A reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way. The following proposal and motivation is submitted for consideration.
motivator	A person who promotes interest in or enthusiasm for something. Music can be a great exercise motivator.
paranoid	A person who is paranoid. Paranoid schizophrenia.
pyromania	An uncontrollable desire to set fire to things.
pyromaniac	A person suffering from pyromania. A ten year old pyromaniac.
randomly	In a random manner. Her entry was randomly drawn from around 10 000 others to win the first prize car.
stimulus	A thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue. She loved the stimulus of the job.
theft	The action or crime of stealing. He was convicted of theft.
uncertain	Not established beyond doubt; still undecided or unknown. An uncertain future.
uncertainty	Being unsettled or in doubt or dependent on chance. The uncertainty of the outcome.
unjustified	(of printed text) not justified. Unjustified price increases.
unpredictable	Not occurring at expected times. An unpredictable or indeterminable future.
urge	Try earnestly or persistently to persuade (someone) to do something. He urged her to come and stay with us.
vagary	An unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behaviour. The vagaries of the weather.
whim	A windlass for raising ore or water from a mine. She bought it on a whim.