- impulse
- noun1 sudden strong wishADJECTIVE▪ strong▪ irresistible▪ first, initial, original▪
My first impulse was to run away.
▪ sudden▪ human▪ basic▪ instinctual, natural▪ repressed▪ conflicting, contradictory, contrary▪ aggressive, murderous, violent▪ suicidal▪ destructive▪ creative▪ sexualVERB + IMPULSE▪ feel, have▪She felt a sudden impulse to look to her left.
▪ be subject to▪We are all subject to aggressive impulses.
▪ be driven by▪ check, control, deny, fight, resist, restrain, stifle, suppress▪He fought down an impulse to scream.
▪ give in to, obey, yield to▪She gave in to an impulse and took the money.
▪ act on, follow▪Acting on impulse, he picked up the keys and slipped them into his pocket.
IMPULSE + NOUN▪ buy, purchase▪The little black designer dress had been an impulse buy.
▪ item (esp. AmE)▪Supermarkets sell candy as impulse items at the checkout counter.
▪ buying▪ buyer▪ controlPREPOSITION▪ on (an) impulse▪Some people will buy a pet on impulse without any idea of what is involved.
▪On an impulse, I went in and bought a box of chocolates.
▪ impulse towards/toward▪basic impulses towards/toward things such as food and drink
2 movement of energyADJECTIVE▪ electrical, nerve, neuralVERB + IMPULSE▪ generate▪A neuron generates an electrical impulse.
▪ send, transmit▪Nerve impulses are transmitted to the brain.
▪ convert sth into, transform sth into▪Radio waves are converted into electrical impulses.
3 sth that causes sb/sth to do sthADJECTIVE▪ democratic, political, religiousIMPULSE + VERB▪ lead (sb/sth) to sth, prompt sb/sth (to do sth)▪the impulse that prompted economic change
PREPOSITION▪ impulse behind▪the impulse behind a concept
▪ impulse for▪the impulse for social reform
▪ impulse towards/toward▪the political impulses towards/toward joining a trade union
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
