impulse

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Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɪmpʌls/

Noun

impulse (plural impulses)

1. A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.

   • All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse.

2. A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.

   The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day.

   When I saw the new dictionary, I couldn't resist the impulse to browse through it.

   • These were my natural impulses for the undertaking.

3. (physics) The integral of force over time.

   The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the bullet.

Related terms

• impel
• impulsion
• impulsive
• impulsively
• impulsiveness
• impulsivity
• impulsor
• pulse

Translations

• French: impulsion
• German: Impuls, Triebkraft
• Italian: impulso, aire, slancio, abbrivo, rincorsa
• Portuguese: impulso
• Russian: и́мпульс
• Spanish: impulso

Translations

• German: Drang, innerer Antrieb
• Spanish: capricho

Translations

• German: Kraftstoß
• Russian: и́мпульс
• Spanish: impulso

Verb

impulse (impulses, present participle impulsing; past and past participle impulsed)

1. (obsolete) To impel; to incite.

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