impel
/ɪmˈpɛl/ verb
Forms impels impelling impelled
- verb (transitive) To urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation.
- verb (transitive) To drive forward; to propel an object, to provide an impetus for motion or action. “The wind impelled the kayaks toward the shore.”
Synonyms
actuate motivate abet goose fuel light a fire under send sting bring about cheer draw drive encourage egg on engender evoke excite foment goad grill force propel
Antonyms
propel restrain retard behedge blunt crimp foreclose delay difficult diminish forestay retroact
Etymology
From Middle English impellen, borrowed from Latin impellō.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To drive or urge forward or on; to press on; to incite to action or motion in any way. The surge impelled me on a craggy coast. Pope.
Etymology [L. impellere; pref. im- in + pellere, pulsum, to drive. See Pulse a beat, and cf. Impulse.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “impel”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details