impetuous
/ɪmˈpetʃuəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpetʃuəs/ (ame, ipa) · /im-ˈpe-chᵊ-wəs -ˈpech-wəs, -ˈpe-chü-əs/ (ame, mw)
impetuous — adjective
- impetuouspositive
- more impetuouscomparative
- most impetuoussuperlative
1. tending to act on a sudden urge or strong feeling without first weighing what mi
tending to act on a sudden urge or strong feeling without first weighing what might go wrong.
Isabela was so impetuous that she quit her job after one argument with her boss.
subject + be + impetuous + that-clause showing the rash action
Young drivers can be impetuous, taking risks they later regret on the highway.
predicative use with -ing clause showing the rash behaviour
Kian's impetuous decision to buy the old motorcycle drained his savings within a week.
Don't be so impetuous with your money, Ezra — at least read the contract first.
- impulsive
more neutral and common; less formal than impetuous
- rash
emphasises poor judgement more than emotion
- hot-headed
informal; emphasises anger as the trigger
- cautious
weighs risks before acting
- deliberate
acts after careful thought
用法筆記
Often describes a person's general character or a one-off act driven by emotion. Frequently attributive before nouns like decision, move, gesture, youth. More formal than rash or impulsive.
常見錯誤
2. (of a remark, choice, or move) made on a sudden urge, without pausing to think a
(of a remark, choice, or move) made on a sudden urge, without pausing to think about how it might turn out.
Mizuki later regretted her impetuous proposal of marriage after only three dates.
attributive: impetuous + noun naming the specific impulsive act
The general's impetuous order to attack at dawn cost the army hundreds of soldiers.
attributive with a noun of speech (order, remark, promise)
It was an impetuous purchase, but Tamar instantly fell in love with the cottage.
Adisa apologised the next morning for his impetuous remark during the staff meeting.
- hasty
common and less formal; emphasises speed over emotion
- spur-of-the-moment
informal compound; lighter, often neutral or positive
- ill-considered
stresses the lack of thought rather than the emotion driving it
- considered
made after careful thought
- premeditated
planned in advance
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 modifies the act, statement, or choice (impetuous decision, impetuous remark), while sense 1 modifies the person (an impetuous girl). Almost always attributive — you would not say 'the remark was impetuous' as naturally as 'an impetuous remark'.
常見錯誤
3. (literary) moving or acting with great speed and physical power, often in a way
(literary) moving or acting with great speed and physical power, often in a way that is hard to stop.
The impetuous current swept the small fishing boat against the rocks below the cliff.
literary: impetuous + noun of natural force (current, wind, torrent)
Spring rains turned the quiet stream into an impetuous torrent within a single afternoon.
impetuous + torrent: the canonical literary collocation
An impetuous gust tore the umbrella from Sari's hand on the bridge.
The army's impetuous charge broke through the enemy line before sunrise.
用法筆記
Mostly literary or journalistic; in plain modern English use violent, raging, or powerful instead. Only ever attributive in this sense — you wouldn't say 'the wind was impetuous'.