Definition

Noun: 1. An overwhelming, spontaneous urge to perform an act or utter words, often against one's better judgment: A sudden, powerful inner force that feels impossible to control or resist, compelling a person to do or say something they may later regret or that is socially inappropriate. This term is often used in legal and psychological contexts to describe an impulse so strong it overrides rational will.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Standing on the cliff's edge, he felt an irresistible impulse to throw a rock into the abyss.
  • She was overcome by an irresistible impulse to correct the speaker's grammar, even though she knew it was rude.
  • The defense lawyer argued his client acted out of an irresistible impulse, not premeditated intent.

Advanced Usage

• In legal contexts: Historically used in some jurisdictions as part of an insanity defense, suggesting a person could not control their actions due to a mental disease or defect, even if they knew the act was wrong. Its use has been largely superseded by the M'Naghten rules or the Model Penal Code's "substantial capacity" test.
  • The court debated whether the crime was a product of an irresistible impulse or a calculated choice.
• In psychology: Describes a symptom of certain disorders (e.g., impulse-control disorders) where an individual experiences a rising tension before committing an act and a sense of relief afterward, despite potential negative consequences.

Variants and Related Words

• Impulse (n): A sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act.
  • He bought the car on an impulse.
• Compulsion (n): The action or state of being forced to do something; an irresistible urge to behave in a certain way.
  • She felt a compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly.

Synonyms

• Overpowering urge
• Uncontrollable impulse
• Overwhelming compulsion

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To be seized by an impulse: To be suddenly and powerfully affected by a desire to act.
  • He was seized by an impulse to confess everything.
• On impulse: Done suddenly without planning, driven by a momentary feeling.
  • She called him on impulse.

Noun

1. an urge to do or say something that might be better left undone or unsaid
   • he felt a compulsion to babble on about the accident