impulsenoun
uk/ˈɪm.pʌls/us/ˈɪm.pʌls/impulse noun (WISH)
C2 [ C + to infinitive ] a sudden strong wish to do something:
I had this sudden impulse to shout out "Nonsense!" in the middle of her speech.
on (an) impulse
C2 because you suddenly want to, although you haven't planned to:
"I didn't know you were looking for some new shoes." "Oh, I wasn't - I just bought them on impulse."
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Feelings of desire
- appetite
- caprice
- compulsion
- covetous
- craving
- dream
- drive
- get itchy feet idiom
- hankering
- hunger
- impulse buy
- longing
- lust
- thirst
- urge
- vaulting
- whim
- wish
- yearning
- yen
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Wanting things
impulse noun (SIGNAL)
[ C ] a short electrical, radio, or light signal that carries information or instructions between the parts of a system:
an electrical/nerve impulse
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Electricity & electronics
- anodize
- anti-static
- chargeable
- charger
- conduction
- destructive interference
- electric
- electric field
- electromagnetic
- electrostatic
- flow
- generation
- ground
- homing
- input
- linesman
- rechargeable
- resistor
- solid-state
- transistorized
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Communications - general words
impulse noun (REASON)
[ C usually singular ] formal something that is the driving force behind or reason for something else:
a creative/commercial impulse
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Motives and reasons
- cause 1
- drive
- first principles
- ground
- hidden agenda
- in the name of sth idiom
- inclination
- justification
- mainspring
- motivation
- motive
- name
- object
- peg
- rationale
- reason
- should
- wherefores
- why