impulse
Collocations
33(noun.) sudden strong wish
ADJ
strong | irresistible
first, original
When she saw the spider, her first impulse was to scream loudly.
sudden | basic | instinctual, natural | repressed | conflicting, contradictory, contrary | aggressive, violent | creative | sexual
VERB + IMPULSE
feel, have
He had a strong impulse to call his friend after seeing the old photograph.
be subject to
My teenage son is subject to sudden impulses to spend all his pocket money on video games.
be driven by
check, control, deny, fight (back/down), resist, restrain, stifle, suppress
She had to restrain her impulse to laugh during the serious business meeting.
give in to, obey, yield to
He yielded to an impulse to call his old friend after ten years of silence.
act on
She acted on impulse and bought the expensive jacket without checking her bank account first.
buy sth on
She bought the expensive handbag on impulse and regretted it the next day.
IMPULSE + VERB
arise
A sudden urge to call an old friend arose during the movie last night.
IMPULSE + NOUN
buy, purchase
I saw those shoes online and made an impulse purchase without checking the price first.
buying | buyer
PREP
on (an) ~
She decided to book a flight to Paris on impulse without planning anything in advance.
~ towards
Children often have a strong impulse towards asking questions about everything they see.
(noun.) movement of energy
ADJ
electrical, nerve/nervous
VERB + IMPULSE
transmit
My first impulse was to buy the expensive shoes, but I resisted and left the store.
convert sth into, transform sth into
When you touch the screen, it transforms your finger movement into electrical impulses.
(noun.) sth that causes sb/sth to do sth
ADJ
positive | political, social
IMPULSE + VERB
lead (sb/sth) to sth, prompt (sb/sth to sth)
A sudden impulse led him to quit his job and travel around the world.
PREP
~ behind
She finally understood the impulse behind her friend's sudden decision to move abroad.
~ for
She felt a sudden impulse for adventure and booked a ticket to travel across South America.
~ toward
She felt a sudden impulse toward checking her phone every few minutes during the meeting.