impulses
impulses — noun
1. a strong feeling that suddenly makes you want to do something, often before you
a strong feeling that suddenly makes you want to do something, often before you have time to think about whether it is a good idea.
Anong felt a sudden impulse to call her grandmother in Chiang Mai.
an impulse to + [verb]
Imran fought the impulse to laugh during the long, serious speech in the school hall.
fight the impulse to + [verb]
Chidi felt an impulse to buy chocolate while waiting near the supermarket checkout.
Jin's counselor taught him to notice his angry impulses before shouting at his sister.
Late at night, Yara had an impulse to repaint the whole kitchen yellow.
- restraint
the choice not to act on a feeling
文法句型
an impulse to + [verb]
feel/have/get + an impulse
resist/control/fight + an impulse
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'to + verb' or paired with verbs like 'feel', 'have', 'resist', 'control', or 'fight'. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the inner feeling itself, while sense 2 names the way of acting that follows from it.
常見錯誤
2. in the fixed phrase 'on impulse', meaning acting because of a sudden feeling rat
in the fixed phrase 'on impulse', meaning acting because of a sudden feeling rather than after careful thought or any plan.
Quinn bought the red guitar on impulse and worried about the price later.
buy + on impulse
On impulse, Pedro booked a one-way ticket to Lisbon for the weekend.
on impulse + [clause]
Olivia decided on impulse to dye her long hair pink before the wedding.
Acting on impulse, the climbers left the marked path and got lost in the fog.
- spontaneously
more formal; emphasises being unplanned and natural
- on a whim
near-synonym; suggests an even lighter, more playful decision
- deliberately
after thinking it through, not from a sudden feeling
- after careful thought
explicit opposite phrase
文法句型
do something + on impulse
act + on impulse
buy/decide/leave + on impulse
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'on impulse'. The clause that follows usually names an action that the speaker now sees as unplanned, surprising, or risky. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is the inner feeling (countable noun); sense 2 is the adverbial phrase about how an action was carried out.
常見錯誤
3. a brief burst of energy — whether electrical, in the form of light, or as a radi
a brief burst of energy — whether electrical, in the form of light, or as a radio wave — that travels inside a machine or a living body to carry information between its parts.
Nerve impulses travel from Eitan's fingertips to his brain in under a second.
impulses + travel from + [start] + to + [end]
The heart monitor sends short electrical impulses to the printer each time Anna breathes.
send + electrical impulses + to + [device]
Doctors recorded weak nerve impulses in Lara's left arm after the accident.
Each key press generates a light impulse that the cable carries to the computer.
文法句型
send/transmit/carry + an impulse
electrical/nerve + impulse
impulses + travel/pass + along/through + [path]
用法筆記
Often modified by 'electrical', 'nerve', 'radio', or 'light' to show what type of signal it is. Subject of verbs like 'travel', 'pass', 'fire', or object of 'send', 'transmit', 'carry'. Distinguish from sense 1 (a mental urge) and sense 4 (a general driving force): sense 3 is concrete and measurable, used in science and engineering contexts.
常見錯誤
4. something, such as an event or idea, that starts an activity or makes it grow st
something, such as an event or idea, that starts an activity or makes it grow stronger; the underlying reason or push behind a change.
Cheap government loans gave a strong impulse to new home-building across Kaohsiung last year.
give + an impulse to + [activity]
The main impulse behind the protests was anger over rising food prices.
the impulse behind + [activity]
Christopher's funding provided fresh impulse for research into rare childhood diseases.
A meeting with the old teacher gave Matthew the impulse to return to medical school.
- obstacle
something that slows or blocks the activity instead of pushing it forward
文法句型
give + an impulse + to + [activity]
the impulse + behind/for + [activity]
provide/add + impulse
用法筆記
Subject is often an abstract noun (event, idea, policy, meeting) that triggered a larger change. Common with verbs like 'give', 'provide', 'add', or in the phrase 'the impulse behind/for'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 4 is an external trigger or motive that drives an activity or movement, not a personal inner feeling.