impulsive

[im-puhl-siv] / ɪmˈpʌl sɪv /

ADJECTIVE

tending to act without thought

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abrupt hasty impetuous instinctive offhand passionate spontaneous violent

WEAK

ad-lib automatic careless devil-may-care emotional extemporaneous flaky gone off deep end headlong hot-and-cold intuitive involuntary jumping the gun mad precipitate quick rash sudden swift unconsidered unexpected unmeditated unpredictable unpremeditated unprompted up-and-down winging it

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm deliberate planned sensible

WEAK

cautious considering heedful premeditative thoughtful wise

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So really, the message here is that we should all be more impulsive and slightly unhinged — Anna ends up living her Tuscan dreams after all.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Scientists found that consuming caffeine at night can increase impulsive behavior, raising the likelihood of risky or uncontrolled actions.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

Boehringer Ingelheim, the developer of Pramipexole - the Parkinson's drug with impulsive behaviours listed as "uncommon" - said the regulator had approved its leaflets and that it was committed to improving patient safety.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

It was such a baffling overture that Xi suspected it was an impulsive gesture, said people close to Beijing’s decision-making.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

“And from the sound of things, she was feeling rather impulsive that night.”

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

Vocabulary lists containing impulsive

List 1

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The Lightning Thief

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Dracula

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