MEANING
To cause someone or something to move or act through force, pressure, or a strong motive.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- impel someone to act
- impelled by curiosity
On the page
Curiosity impelled her to open the letter despite the unfamiliar seal.
The pressure impelled the trapped fragment toward the outlet.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- impel
- Past tense
- impelled
- Past participle
- impelled
- Present participle
- impelling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- impel
- Present continuous
- am/is/are impelling
- Present perfect
- have/has impelled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been impelling
- Past
- impelled
- Past continuous
- was/were impelling
- Past perfect
- had impelled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been impelling
- Future
- will impel
- Future continuous
- will be impelling
- Future perfect
- will have impelled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been impelling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: impel; impels; impelled; impelled; impelling Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: impels.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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