spur-of-the-moment
spur-of-the-moment — 慣用語
1. If you do something on the spur of the moment, you do it suddenly because you fe
一時衝動
未經事先計畫就突然做某事
If you do something on the spur of the moment, you do it suddenly because you feel like doing it right then, without having planned or thought about it before.
James flew to Tokyo on the spur of the moment after finding cheap tickets.
James 找到便宜的機票後，一時衝動就飛去了東京。
idiom in past-tense narrative with reason clause
The trip was organized on the spur of the moment, so we had no hotel reservations.
這趟行程是臨時起意的，所以我們沒有訂飯店。
Sofia bought the necklace on the spur of the moment and never wore it once.
Sofia 一時衝動買下了那條項鍊，結果一次也沒戴過。
- impulsively
emphasises acting without thinking about the consequences; can describe a personality trait, not just a single action
- on a whim
similar meaning but suggests a lighter, more playful reason for the action
- spontaneously
more neutral and positive; suggests natural, cheerful unpremeditated action
- deliberately
doing something after careful thought and planning
- in advance
with prior preparation or arrangement
文法句型
on the spur of the moment + [past action]
用法筆記
Always used as part of the fixed adverbial phrase 'on the spur of the moment'. The hyphenated attributive adjective 'spur-of-the-moment' (without 'on') is a separate entry with a different grammatical role.
常見錯誤
spur-of-the-moment — 形容詞
1. Happening or done suddenly, because of a feeling at that moment, without any pla
臨時的；即興的
未經規劃突然發生的
Happening or done suddenly, because of a feeling at that moment, without any planning or preparation. Used only before a noun.
Their spur-of-the-moment road trip took them from Taipei down the east coast to Hualien.
他們臨時起意的公路之旅從台北沿東海岸一路開到花蓮。
attributive use: spur-of-the-moment + noun phrase
Mei has never regretted her spur-of-the-moment decision to adopt the stray puppy.
Mei 從不後悔自己一時衝動領養了那隻流浪狗。
common collocation: spur-of-the-moment decision
Jack's spur-of-the-moment speech at the wedding made his grandmother laugh with joy.
Jack 在婚禮上即興的演講讓他奶奶笑得非常開心。
- impromptu
often used for speeches or performances done without preparation; slightly more formal
- spontaneous
broader in meaning; can describe a person's character, not just a single action
- unplanned
neutral and direct; lacks the sudden-impulse nuance of 'spur-of-the-moment'
- planned
prepared in advance, often with deliberate thought
- carefully considered
decided after taking time to think things through
文法句型
spur-of-the-moment + noun
用法筆記
This adjective can only go before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say 'The decision was spur-of-the-moment' in standard English — use 'The decision was made on the spur of the moment' instead, which uses the idiom entry above.