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.

Adversaries thought that Turner’s ventures could be reckless and impulsive.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Hundreds of patients or their families told the BBC they didn't make the connection between impulsive behaviours and the drugs until it was too late.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

The piece included unnamed sources who described Patel as impulsive and absent from his post, and who claimed he was concerned about his job security.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

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

He was impulsive enough to be dangerous, and fast enough to travel far before anyone noticed he was gone.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Vocabulary lists containing impulsive

List 1

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

The Lightning Thief

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Dracula

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!