Meaning & use
impetuous
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Acting suddenly on a strong feeling without thinking through the possible result.
Grammar: Describes people or their actions; comparative is 'more impetuous'.
Patterns
- an impetuous decision
- an impetuous young person
- an impetuous act
It was an impetuous promise, made at midnight and hard to keep.
His impetuous spending emptied the account within a month.
She forgave the impetuous outburst once tempers cooled.
adjectivebefore a nounliterary
Moving fast and with great force, as wind or water.
Grammar: Literary; describes natural forces rather than people or choices.
Patterns
- impetuous waves
- an impetuous wind
- an impetuous current
The impetuous river swept the old bridge away.
An impetuous wind scattered the blossom across the yard.
Word forms
| comparative | more impetuous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most impetuous |
Common combinations
- an impetuous decision
- Quitting by email was an impetuous decision he regretted.
- an impetuous dreamer
- His mother smiled at the impetuous dreamer he still was.
- an impetuous act
- The prank was an impetuous act, quickly forgiven.
- an impetuous nature
- Her impetuous nature made waiting in line a trial.
Synonyms and how they differ
- impulsive
- Very close; an impulsive act follows a sudden urge, while an impetuous one adds haste and passion.
- rash
- More negative; it emphasizes poor judgment and likely harm rather than energy.
- hasty
- Simply fast, often careless; it lacks the strong feeling behind an impetuous act.
- reckless
- Ignores danger or consequences completely, which is stronger than acting on a sudden feeling.
Opposites
Word family
- impetuosity noun
- The quality of being impetuous.
- impetuously adverb
- In an impetuous way.
Commonly confused: impetuous or impetus?
impetuous vs impetus
Impetus is the driving force that makes something happen, as in 'the grant gave impetus to the research'; it is not a character trait like impetuous.
Practice
Which person sounds most impetuous?
Choose one answer.
Theo acts suddenly on a strong urge without considering the consequences, which is exactly what impetuous means. The others describe careful, patient behavior, the opposite of an impetuous style.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “impetuous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.