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/ˈɪmpʌls/
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CMU ARPABET:
IH1 M P AH0 L S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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CMU ARPABET 2:
IH2 M P AH1 L S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
c. 1715-1716, Samuel Clarke, letter to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day. When I saw the new book, I couldn't resist the impulse to browse through it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
The integral of force over time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics
Examples
The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the projectile.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
To impel; to incite.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
the act of applying force suddenly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the impulse knocked him over
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: impulsion, impetus
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: drive, thrust, driving force
an impelling force or strength
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the car's momentum carried it off the road
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: momentum
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: force, forcefulness, strength
the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: electrical discharge
Narrower terms: action potential
(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the pulsations seemed to be coming from a star
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pulsation, pulsing, pulse
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: wave, undulation
a sudden desire
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he bought it on an impulse
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: caprice, whim
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: desire
an instinctive motive
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
profound religious impulses
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: urge
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: motivation, motive, need
Narrower terms: abience, adience, death instinct, death wish, Thanatos, wanderlust, itchy feet
Borrowed from Middle French impulser, from Latin impulsus.
Across languages
Translations 80 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani :
təkan
— sudden force that impels
Basque :
olde
— sudden force that impels
Bulgarian :
стимул
(stimul)
— sudden force that impels
Bulgarian :
импулс
(impuls)
— sudden force that impels
Catalan :
impuls
— sudden force that impels
Chinese Mandarin :
衝動 /冲动
(chōngdòng)
— sudden force that impels
Chinese Mandarin :
意氣 /意气
(yìqì)
— sudden force that impels
Chinese Mandarin :
衝量 /冲量
(chōngliàng)
— sudden force that impels
Chinese Mandarin :
衝力 /冲力
(chōnglì)
— sudden force that impels
Esperanto :
impulso
— sudden force that impels
Finnish :
impulssi
— sudden force that impels
French :
impulsion
— sudden force that impels
Galician :
impulso
— sudden force that impels
Galician :
pulo
— sudden force that impels
German :
Impuls
— sudden force that impels
German :
Triebkraft
— sudden force that impels
Greek :
παρόρμηση
(parórmisi)
— sudden force that impels
Greek :
ορμέμφυτο
(ormémfyto)
— sudden force that impels
Ancient Greek :
παρόρμησις
(parórmēsis)
— sudden force that impels
Hungarian :
impulzus
— sudden force that impels
Irish :
taghd
— sudden force that impels
Irish :
spadhar
— sudden force that impels
Italian :
impulso
— sudden force that impels
Italian :
aire
— sudden force that impels
Italian :
slancio
— sudden force that impels
Italian :
abbrivo
— sudden force that impels
Italian :
rincorsa
— sudden force that impels
Japanese :
衝動
(shōdō)
— sudden force that impels
Japanese :
衝撃
(shōgeki)
— sudden force that impels
Japanese :
推進力
(suishinryoku)
— sudden force that impels
Japanese :
インパルス
(inparusu)
— sudden force that impels
Japanese :
出来心
(dekigokoro)
— sudden force that impels
Khmer :
ពលវេគ
(pʊəl veikii)
— sudden force that impels
Latin :
impulsus
— sudden force that impels
Persian :
تکانه
(tekâne)
— sudden force that impels
Polish :
impuls
— sudden force that impels
Portuguese :
impulso
— sudden force that impels
Romanian :
impuls
— sudden force that impels
Russian :
и́мпульс
(ímpulʹs)
— sudden force that impels
Russian :
поры́в
(porýv)
— sudden force that impels
Russian :
побужде́ние
(pobuždénije)
— sudden force that impels
Russian :
толчо́к
(tolčók)
— sudden force that impels
Sanskrit :
त्वेषस्
(tveṣas)
— sudden force that impels
Spanish :
impulso
— sudden force that impels
Swedish :
impuls
— sudden force that impels
Swedish :
ingivelse
— sudden force that impels
Tagalog :
pitlag
— sudden force that impels
Turkish :
dürtü
— sudden force that impels
Ukrainian :
і́мпульс
(ímpulʹs)
— sudden force that impels
Welsh :
ysgogiad
— sudden force that impels
Bulgarian :
подбуда
(podbuda)
— wish
Catalan :
antull
— wish
Catalan :
capritx
— wish
Catalan :
caprici
— wish
German :
Drang
— wish
German :
innerer Antrieb
— wish
Latin :
citātus
— wish
Spanish :
capricho
— wish
Thai :
แรงกระตุ้น
— wish
Ukrainian :
і́мпульс
(ímpulʹs)
— wish
Welsh :
awydd
— wish
Bulgarian :
импулс
(impuls)
— (physics) integral force over time
Catalan :
impuls
— (physics) integral force over time
Catalan :
impulsió
— (physics) integral force over time
Chinese Mandarin :
衝量 /冲量
(chōngliàng)
— (physics) integral force over time
Chinese Mandarin :
衝力 /冲力
(chōnglì)
— (physics) integral force over time
Czech :
impuls síly
— (physics) integral force over time
German :
Kraftstoß
— (physics) integral force over time
Hindi :
आवेग
(āveg)
— (physics) integral force over time
Irish :
spreagadh
— (physics) integral force over time
Japanese :
衝撃
(shōgeki)
— (physics) integral force over time
Japanese :
推進力
(suishinryoku)
— (physics) integral force over time
Korean :
충격량
(chunggyeongnyang)
— (physics) integral force over time
Korean :
역적
(yeokjeok)
— (physics) integral force over time
Malayalam :
ആവേഗം
(āvēgaṁ)
— (physics) integral force over time
Russian :
и́мпульс
(ímpulʹs)
— (physics) integral force over time
Russian :
толчо́к
(tolčók)
— (physics) integral force over time
Spanish :
impulso
— (physics) integral force over time
Swedish :
impuls
— (physics) integral force over time
Tagalog :
dantay
— (physics) integral force over time
