impulse
n. · v.-
1 sudden urge (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea sudden, strong feeling that you must do something without thinking about it first.
a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action.
ExampleHe had a sudden impulse to quit his job and travel the world.
ExampleShe struggled to control the impulse to interrupt the speaker, knowing that a premature outburst would undermine her professional standing.
PitfallI bought it on an impulse.I bought it on impulse.When describing an action done without planning, the fixed phrase is 'on impulse' without an article.
-
2 physical force (n.) C1 Advanced Formala sudden push or force that starts something moving.
the act of impelling or the state of being impelled; a sudden force that communicates motion.
ExampleThe impulse of the wind pushed the small boat away from the dock.
ExampleThe initial impulse provided by the explosion was sufficient to propel the debris across the entire testing facility.
Show 3 more sensesShow fewer
-
3 change in momentum (n.) C2 Proficiency Technical Sciencethe effect of a force acting on an object for a short time.
the integral of a force over the time interval during which it acts, resulting in a change in momentum.
ExampleThe golfer tried to increase the impulse on the ball by following through with the swing.
ExampleIn classical mechanics, impulse is defined as the product of the average force and the time interval over which it is applied.
UsageUsually functions as an uncountable noun in a physics context.
-
4 electrical signal (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicinea short burst of energy that travels through a wire or a nerve.
a pulse of electrical energy or a nerve discharge that transmits information or triggers an action.
ExampleNerve impulses carry messages from your brain to your muscles.
ExampleThe sensor detects minute electrical impulses generated by the heart, allowing the machine to map the patient's cardiac rhythm.
-
5 to drive forward (v.) C2 Proficiency Archaic Formalto push or encourage someone to take action.
to provide an incentive or a physical push; to impel.
ExampleThe desire for fame may impulse a person to take great risks.
ExampleThe monarch sought to impulse his subjects toward a more industrious lifestyle through a series of rigorous new decrees.
UsageTransitive verb; requires a direct object.
Borrowed from Middle French impulser, from Latin impulsus. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.