impulse
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
impulses
plural
impulses
Britannica Dictionary definition of IMPULSE
[count]
1
:
a sudden strong desire to do something
— often followed by to + verb
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He has to learn to control his impulses.
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a natural/creative/sudden impulse
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a generous impulse
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He had to resist the impulse [=urge] to shout.
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My first/initial impulse was to say no.
◊ To do something on (an) impulse or on a sudden impulse is to do it suddenly and without thinking about it first.
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He bought a new camera on impulse.
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She quit her job on a sudden impulse.
◊ An impulse buy/purchase is something that is bought on impulse and that usually is not really needed.
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The camera was an impulse buy.
◊ Impulse buying is the act or practice of buying things on impulse.
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Shopping with a credit card can lead to impulse buying.
2
technical
:
a small amount of energy that moves from one area to another
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an electrical impulse
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a nerve impulse [=a wave of electrical energy that is carried through the nerves to the brain]
