Impel

WOTD - 13 April 2008    

English

Verb

Impel (third-person singular simple present Impels, present participle impelling, simple past and past participle impelled)

1. (transitive) To urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation. (contrast with propel, to compel or drive extrinsically)
2. (transitive) To drive forward; to propel an object.

Synonyms

• (to drive forward): propel

Antonyms

• expel

Adverbs for Impel

blindly; steadily; simultaneously; instinctively; naturally; normally; sexually; emotionally; subconsciously.

Thesaurus

actuate, advance, animate, beset, bind, bowl, bunt, butt, cause, cause to, compel, constrain, drive, drive on, energize, enforce, foment, force, forward, foster, galvanize, give an impetus, give momentum, goad, grip, have, hold, incite, infatuate, inspire, instigate, make, mobilize, motivate, move, move to action, not let go, nudge, obsess, pedal, pole, possess, power, preoccupy, promote, propel, push, put in motion, restrain, roll, row, set agoing, set going, set in motion, shove, shunt, spark, spur, stimulate, sweep, sweep along, thrust, tie, treadle, troll, trundle, use force upon, whip on

Etymology

From Latin impellō

Pronunciation

• (RP, US) IPA: /ɪmˈpɛl/

• Audio (US)

  noicon

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛl

Translations

To urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation

Dutch: aanzetten (nl) French: motiver (fr), inciter (fr), pousser (fr) Russian: побуждать

Spanish: impeler (es)

To drive forward; to propel an object

Dutch: voortdrijven (nl) French: propulser (fr), éjecter (fr), pousser (fr) Russian: приводить в движение

Spanish: impeler  (es)

Related terms

• impellent
• impeller
• impulse

References

• Impel in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• Impel in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913