1
a
: a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action
b
: a propensity or natural tendency usually other than rational
2
a
: a wave of excitation transmitted through tissues and especially nerve fibers and muscles that results in physiological activity or inhibition see nerve impulse
b
: the act of driving onward with sudden force : impulsion
3
a
b
: the product of the average value of a force and the time during which it acts : the change in momentum produced by the force
4
impulsed; impulsing
: to give an impulse to
Synonyms
Examples of impulse in a Sentence
Noun
He has to learn to control his impulses.
the new auto factory was just the impulse that the local economy needed
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Yet perhaps the original, enduring impulse that gave us habitual millennial-shaming, which has lately given way to 24/7 zoomer-shaming, represents a kind of honest concern.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024
Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2024
With a wide variety of sizes, there's something for just about everyone, from the heads of large households to impulse shoppers at gas stations to parents packing kids' school lunches every morning.
—Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN, 14 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for impulse 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
As Bitcoin Suddenly Surges Toward $100,000 Price Now Hackers Are Using Snail Mail In Cyber Attacks—Here’s How
Interestingly, recent data shows that men are particularly drawn to the Middle of Lidl, spending 20% more than women on these impulse buys.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Yet perhaps the original, enduring impulse that gave us habitual millennial-shaming, which has lately given way to 24/7 zoomer-shaming, represents a kind of honest concern.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
The Life of Chuck, his third King adaptation, services that impulse.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2024
With a wide variety of sizes, there's something for just about everyone, from the heads of large households to impulse shoppers at gas stations to parents packing kids' school lunches every morning.
—Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN, 14 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for impulse
Dictionary Entries Near impulse
Cite this Entry
“Impulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impulse. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
impulse
noun
im·pulse
ˈim-ˌpəls 
1
: a wave of excitation transmitted through tissues and especially nerve fibers and muscles that results in physiological activity or inhibition
2
a
: a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action
some uncontrollable impulse … may have driven the defendant to the commission of the murderous act—B. N. Cardozo
B. N. Cardozo
b
: a propensity or natural tendency usually other than rational
the fundamental impulse of self-expression—Havelock Ellis
Havelock EllisLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share