impulsive
adjective
im·pul·sive
im-ˈpəl-siv 
Examples of impulsive in a Sentence
I couldn't make out exactly what had happened, though I could guess how it started—the two of them talking, kidding around when Mrs. Ramsey came down to the library basement to file some periodicals, an impulsive kiss in the stacks …
—
Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003
There was an odd nobility, a knight-errant quality, about Alan—in his willingness to suffer for the sake of life itself, in his tendency to view himself under harsher light than he would turn on others, in his impulsive generosity.
—Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999
So speaks Maude Bailey, the celibate feminist scholar heroine of A. S. Byatt's fifth novel, as, in an impulsive collusion with a male scholar she scarcely knows, she runs off to Brittany.
—Joyce Carol Oates, Vogue, November 1990
She's impulsive and often does things that she later regrets.
He needs to learn to control his impulsive behavior.
She made an impulsive decision to quit her job.
Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003
There was an odd nobility, a knight-errant quality, about Alan—in his willingness to suffer for the sake of life itself, in his tendency to view himself under harsher light than he would turn on others, in his impulsive generosity.
—Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999
So speaks Maude Bailey, the celibate feminist scholar heroine of A. S. Byatt's fifth novel, as, in an impulsive collusion with a male scholar she scarcely knows, she runs off to Brittany.
—Joyce Carol Oates, Vogue, November 1990
She's impulsive and often does things that she later regrets.
He needs to learn to control his impulsive behavior.
She made an impulsive decision to quit her job.
Recent Examples on the Web
This perspective can help avoid mistakes stemming from poor tax planning or impulsive financial decisions.
—Rory O'Hara, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
People with depression may be distracted on the road, have a slower reaction time, or have careless or impulsive driving behaviors, like hard braking or speeding.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 9 Jan. 2025
Mia’s impulsive choices, and the consequences of those decisions, are now the rollercoaster that is driving the season, and no one is enjoying this.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
At 18 months your child is curious, fearless, impulsive, mobile, and unaware of the consequences of their actions—a recipe for trouble.
—Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for impulsive 
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Rory O'Hara, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
People with depression may be distracted on the road, have a slower reaction time, or have careless or impulsive driving behaviors, like hard braking or speeding.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 9 Jan. 2025
Mia’s impulsive choices, and the consequences of those decisions, are now the rollercoaster that is driving the season, and no one is enjoying this.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
At 18 months your child is curious, fearless, impulsive, mobile, and unaware of the consequences of their actions—a recipe for trouble.
—Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for impulsive
Dictionary Entries Near impulsive
Cite this Entry
“Impulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impulsive. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impulsive
adjective
im·pul·sive
im-ˈpəl-siv
1
: acting or tending to act on impulse
2
: resulting from a sudden impulse
impulsively
adverb
impulsiveness
noun
Medical Definition
impulsive
adjective
im·pul·sive
im-ˈpəl-siv
1
: having the power of or actually driving or impelling
2
: actuated by or prone to act on impulse
impulsive behavior
3
: acting momentarily
brief impulsive auditory stimuli
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