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.

"We found that flies consuming caffeine at night were less able to suppress movement, displaying impulsive behaviors such as reckless flying despite these aversive conditions."

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

“But such a temper is always an unfortunate variable. It can lead to impulsive behavior.”

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

impulsive

Example Sentences

Related Words