spur-of-the-moment

Meaning

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Done on impulse, without planning or earlier thought.

   Grammar: Hyphenated before a noun: a spur-of-the-moment trip; unhyphenated after: it was on the spur of the moment.

   Patterns

   • a spur-of-the-moment decision

   We took a spur-of-the-moment trip to the coast.

   It was a spur-of-the-moment purchase, and I regret it.

   Their spur-of-the-moment wedding surprised everyone.

Common combinations

spur-of-the-moment decision

Quitting was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

spur-of-the-moment trip

A spur-of-the-moment trip led to a new job.

spur-of-the-moment purchase

The jacket was a spur-of-the-moment purchase.

on the spur of the moment

On the spur of the moment, she called him.

spur-of-the-moment idea

The party was a spur-of-the-moment idea.

Synonyms and how they differ

impulsive

Impulsive describes a person's habit of acting without thinking, whereas spur-of-the-moment describes a single act.

unplanned

Unplanned is neutral and says nothing about sudden urge.

impromptu

Impromptu is used mostly for speeches and performances that were not prepared.

spontaneous

Spontaneous is positive and natural, while spur-of-the-moment may hint at rashness.

Opposites

Word family

spur noun

a prompt or stimulus

spur verb

to encourage into action

spurred adjective

prompted into action

moment noun

a brief point in time

Commonly confused: spur-of-the-moment or on the spur of the moment?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “spur-of-the-moment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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