Impetuous
/ɪmˈpɛtʃuəs/noun
Acting or done quickly and without thought or care.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, *impetuosus*, is tied to *impetus*, a word for a violent attack or onrush, so the modern meaning still carries the energy of a force breaking through.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pet-
“to rush, fly, or fall”
Latin
Latin
impetus
“an attack, assault, or violent onrush”
Late Latin
Latin
impetuosus
“violent, stormy, forceful”
Old French
Old French
impetueux
“violent, impulsive”
Middle English
English
impetuous
“violent, hasty, driven by sudden force”
Modern English
English
impetuous
“acting or done quickly and without thought or care”