impel

/ɪmˈpel/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpel/ (ame, ipa) · /im-ˈpel/ (ame, mw)

impel — verb

  • impelpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • impelshe / she / it
  • impelledpast simple
  • impelling-ing form

1. if a strong feeling or belief impels someone, it pushes that person so powerfull

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

if a strong feeling or belief impels someone, it pushes that person so powerfully from inside that they feel they have no choice but to act.

例句

A deep sense of fairness impelled Manuela to speak up at the school board meeting.

impel + object + to-infinitive (driven by inner conviction)

Hunger and worry impelled the Okonkwo family to leave their village before dawn.

subject is an emotion or condition, not a person

同義詞
  • compel

    stronger external pressure; often legal or physical, not just emotional

  • drive

    more general and informal; works for any sustained motivation

  • prompt

    weaker; suggests a trigger rather than an irresistible push

反義詞
  • deter

    to stop someone from acting through fear or doubt

  • discourage

    milder; to reduce someone's willingness to act

文法句型

impel + object + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Subject is usually an abstract force — a feeling, belief, duty, or pressure — rather than a deliberate human agent. Frequently passive ('felt impelled to…').

常見錯誤

❌My boss impelled me to finish the report by Friday.
✅My boss pressured me to finish the report by Friday.
💡a person giving an order uses 'pressure' or 'force'; 'impel' takes an inner feeling or moral pressure as subject.

2. to make a physical object move ahead by applying force to it, the way wind moves

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to make a physical object move ahead by applying force to it, the way wind moves a sailboat or an engine moves a car.

例句

A steady south wind impelled the small fishing boat toward the rocky shore.

impel + object + directional phrase (physical force)

Twin propellers impelled the old ferry across the wide gray lake.

subject is a mechanical force (propeller, engine, current)

同義詞
  • propel

    the everyday word for this meaning; less formal than impel

  • drive

    general; can apply to mechanical or natural force

  • push

    plain, neutral; covers any direct physical force

反義詞
  • halt

    to bring forward motion to a complete stop

文法句型

impel + object (+ prepositional phrase of direction)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: here the subject is a physical force (wind, engine, current) acting on a concrete object, not an emotion acting on a person. This sense is mostly literary or technical.

常見錯誤

❌The runner impelled herself across the finish line.
✅The runner pushed herself across the finish line.
💡for a person moving their own body, use 'push' or 'propel'; 'impel' in this sense needs an external physical force as subject.