IMPULSIVE Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'impulsive' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of impulsive are automatic , instinctive , mechanical , and spontaneous . While all these words mean "acting or activated without deliberation," impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment. // impulsive acts of violence

Q: In what contexts can 'automatic' take the place of 'impulsive'?

The words automatic and impulsive can be used in similar contexts, but automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response. // his denial was automatic

Q: When is 'instinctive' a more appropriate choice than 'impulsive'?

In some situations, the words instinctive and impulsive are roughly equivalent. However, instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will. // blinking is an instinctive reaction

Q: When can 'mechanical' be used instead of 'impulsive'?

Although the words mechanical and impulsive have much in common, mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response. // a mechanical teaching method

Q: When might 'spontaneous' be a better fit than 'impulsive'?

While in some cases nearly identical to impulsive , spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness. // a spontaneous burst of applause

impulsive

adjective

im-ˈpəl-siv

Definition of impulsive next

as in obsessive

caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge an impulsive purchase of a very expensive jacket

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in volatile

prone to sudden illogical changes of mind, ideas, or actions an impulsive woman who never seems to have the same opinion about anything for longer than 10 minutes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word impulsive distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of impulsive are automatic, instinctive, mechanical, and spontaneous. While all these words mean "acting or activated without deliberation," impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

In what contexts can automatic take the place of impulsive?

The words automatic and impulsive can be used in similar contexts, but automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

When is instinctive a more appropriate choice than impulsive?

In some situations, the words instinctive and impulsive are roughly equivalent. However, instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

When can mechanical be used instead of impulsive?

Although the words mechanical and impulsive have much in common, mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

When might spontaneous be a better fit than impulsive?

While in some cases nearly identical to impulsive, spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of impulsive Step 1: Pause Before diving into a frenzy of purging and impulsive shopping, take a moment to reflect. —

Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2024 Through bellicose rhetoric and impulsive actions, Washington might provoke crises similar to that which followed the 2022 visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the House, when China responded to U.S. provocation by stepping up its military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait. —

Yan Xuetong, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2024 Start Glorifying Honest And Authentic Marketing Why do some marketers create dishonest marketing campaigns that tap into impulsive emotions? —

Drew Gerber, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024 Forrest is a squirrel who has a tree nut allergy and can be hyperactive and impulsive. —

Jaclyn Greenberg, Parents, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for impulsive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulsive

Adjective

The cars are completely disassembled and modified around the original chassis with a process driven by Singer’s obsessive attention to detail.

— Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 1 Jan. 2025
Esther is the original feminist killjoy — acerbic, brilliant, obsessive, confrontational, deeply relatable.

— Jillian Eugenios, NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024