Impetuous Meaning
/imˈpɛt͡ʃuəs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjMaking arbitrary decisions, especially in an impulsive and forceful manner.
adjCharacterized by sudden violence or vehemence.
Sentence Examples
She's so impetuous; I wish she would consider things before acting.
Don't be so impetuous.
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ decision to quit his job without a backup plan led to financial trouble.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Her ____ decision to quit her job without another one lined up surprised all her close friends.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English impetuous, from Old French impetueux, from Late Latin impetuōsus (“violent”), from Latin impetus (“attack, violence”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"But it was natural, that the impetuous, restless young artist should incline more to excess of strength than of delicacy in his playing."
— 1880, John Weeks Moore, “Beethoven, Louis Van”, in Complete Encyclopaedia of Music:
"The shrewd kind confidant used gently to hint the sad fact to the impetuous hero of this piece. The impetuous hero knew this quite well."
— 1854, Arthur Pendennis [pseudonym; William Makepeace Thackeray], The Newcomes: Memoirs of a Most Respectable Family, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], →OCLC:
"The prime minister thought he could sagely steer his impetuous American friends away from actions they would later regret. It turns out they were just playing him for a patsy[.]"
— 2003 March 16, Terry Jones, “Poor Tony Blair wakes up”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
"How these developments might come about and what they will mean for humanity seems far more important to probe than Isaacson’s preferred focus on explaining Musk’s abusive, erratic, impetuous behavior."
— 2023 September 24, Sarah Frier, “We Don’t Need Another Antihero”, in The Atlantic:
"For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſt nye."
— 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14, page 311:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ decision to quit his job without a backup plan led to financial trouble.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Her ____ decision to quit her job without another one lined up surprised all her close friends.