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Definitions

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.

Even though both sexes had similar levels of caffeine in their systems, females displayed much higher levels of impulsive behavior.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

Some senior aides have occasionally encouraged him against making impulsive posts to his account, according to a person familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

“When prices are down, conversations tend to be more rational and sizing decisions more disciplined” as opposed to impulsive, FOMO-crazed performance chasing.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

Symptoms can vary widely, with some individuals primarily experiencing inattentiveness, while others show more hyperactive or impulsive behavior, or a combination of both.

From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026

It was an act of impulsive frivolity and rebellion for which he knew afterward he would be punished severely.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.