impulse

Everyday

1. A sudden wish to do something without thinking about it first. tree →
2. (science) A signal that travels along a nerve, or a short push or burst of force. tree →
3. A reason or force that makes something happen. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and money talk, «buying on impulse» means buying something you did not plan to. In science, nerve impulses carry messages from the brain. In stories it shows hasty actions. Phrases: on impulse, act on impulse, impulse buy, nerve impulse, resist the impulse.

Examples

• On impulse, she jumped into the pool with her clothes on. tree →
• He felt a sudden impulse to laugh during assembly. tree →
• Sweets near the till are for impulse buying. tree →
• Nerve impulses travel from your fingers to your brain. tree →
• Try to resist the impulse to shout out the answer. tree →
• Acting on impulse can sometimes get you into trouble. tree →
• No sooner was this done than, obeying an irresistible impulse, he precipitated himself into the deep, and became a sea-god. tree →

Note

Adjective: impulsive (doing things without thinking). Countable. «Impulse» stresses the first syllable: IM-pulse.