1
as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
an impulsive purchase of a very expensive jacket
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in volatile
prone to sudden illogical changes of mind, ideas, or actions
an impulsive woman who never seems to have the same opinion about anything for longer than 10 minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impulsive
Take a step back and try to avoid making impulsive decisions now.
—
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
The proliferation of financial news, sensationalist headlines, and social media can amplify anxiety, leading to impulsive decisions that deviate from long-term plans.
—True Tamplin, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Even during a recession, advisors should encourage clients to avoid impulsive moves like selling assets at depressed prices.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
Policies such as Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen, its blockade of Qatar, the detention of Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the conversion of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh into a makeshift prison all fed an image of the young prince as an impulsive decision-maker.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impulsive
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
The proliferation of financial news, sensationalist headlines, and social media can amplify anxiety, leading to impulsive decisions that deviate from long-term plans.
—True Tamplin, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Even during a recession, advisors should encourage clients to avoid impulsive moves like selling assets at depressed prices.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
Policies such as Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen, its blockade of Qatar, the detention of Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the conversion of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh into a makeshift prison all fed an image of the young prince as an impulsive decision-maker.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulsive
Adjective
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This show should finally set the record straight: here is an American visionary whose obsessive paintings are at once stylized and crudely instinctive, achieving a kind of cryptic simplicity that might be called folk surrealism.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
ARTnews.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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That's right, Penn Badgley will return as Joe Goldberg in the fifth and final season of the show about the obsessive young man who goes to extreme lengths to get close to people he becomes transfixed by.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Relievers have always been volatile, prone to inconsistency and bouts of wildness.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Mitch McConnell Breaks with Trump by Blasting Global Tariff Plan: 'Trade Wars Hurt Working People Most' While stocks are volatile, experts advise relying on stable cash investments, which will be able to mitigate the years after retirement when people may need to dip into savings.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But many therapists who work with those struggling with gambling point out a need for specialized treatment that differs from treating other kinds of compulsive behavior.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
29 Mar. 2025
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One such study from the NIAAA in 2013 supports this idea, as researchers argued at the time that compulsive alcohol use can quickly progress to alcohol dependence.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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He’s invited her along on a business trip, to the wilderness retreat of eccentric zillionaire Odell (Richard E. Grant), the head of a hugely lucrative pharmaceuticals company.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
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The Ballad of Wallis Island sees Key play Charles, an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of reuniting his favorite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer, a duo played by Basden and Promising Young Woman's Carey Mulligan, for a private show.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Few inspire spontaneous ovations in public places, like the one U.S. Rep. John Larson received last month at Bradley airport.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2025
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The Women’s March was highly organized and concentrated, while the protests in June 2020 were largely spontaneous and spread out.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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To transform a home into a Leo's sanctuary, layer plaid and moody colors.—
Isabella Milano,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
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This week, Drake and PartyNextDoor nice up our Valentine’s Day with some moody new love songs, Sabrina Carpenter taps her idol Dolly Parton for a twangy remix, and Addison Rae delivers another cheeky hit.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As America’s capricious trade war rolls on, the European Union may be Washington’s next target.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2025
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Trump would gladly assume its powers and use them to allow his capricious, kleptocratic, calliope to continue keening—ever more menacingly for the world.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Use the soft color palette, whimsical background, and facial features inspired by Ghibli characters.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
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Design a whimsical, magical garden with these path ideas.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulsive. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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