im ‧ pulse /ˈɪmpʌls/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: impulsus , from the past participle of impellere ; ⇨ ↑ impel ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] a sudden strong desire to do something without thinking about whether it is a sensible thing to do SYN urge
impulse to do something
a sudden impulse to laugh
Marge’s first impulse was to run.
Gerry couldn’t resist the impulse to kiss her.
on impulse
On impulse, I picked up the phone and rang her.
Most beginners buy plants on impulse and then hope for the best.
impulse buying/shopping (=when you buy things that you had not planned to buy)
2 . [countable] technical a short electrical signal that travels in one direction along a nerve or wire:
The eye converts light signals to nerve impulses.
3 . [countable] a reason or aim that causes a particular kind of activity or behaviour:
It is the passions which provide the main impulse of music.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1 )
■ adjectives
▪ strong
He had a strong impulse to punch Stan in the face.
▪ irresistible (=very strong)
I felt an irresistible impulse to giggle.
▪ a sudden impulse
She felt a sudden impulse to play some music.
▪ somebody's first/initial impulse
Her first impulse was to turn and walk away.
▪ a natural impulse
My natural impulse was to shout for help.
■ verbs
▪ have/feel an impulse to
Rosa had an impulse to tell Henry the truth.
▪ resist/control an impulse (=not do something, even though you have an impulse to do it)
Derek resisted the impulse to eat any more cake.
▪ act on an impulse (=do something because you have a sudden desire to do it)
Acting on an impulse, he decided to visit his sister.
▪ obey an impulse formal ( also yield to an impulse literary ) (=do something because you have a sudden very strong desire to do it)
Yielding to an impulse, she called him on her mobile phone.
■ impulse + NOUN
▪ an impulse buy (=buying something without having planned it)
She admitted that the necklace had been an impulse buy.
■ phrases
▪ do something on impulse (=do something without having planned it)
James bought her some flowers on impulse.