Drive and Impulse

Similar meaning words

Drive noun - A strong wish for something.

Usage example: a drive to succeed in the television news business

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Impulse is a synonym for drive in purpose topic. In some cases you can use "Impulse" instead a noun "Drive", when it comes to topics like effect.

Nearby Words: driving, driven, driver, driveway

Impulse noun - The act of applying force suddenly.

Usage example: the impulse knocked him over

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Drive is a synonym for impulse in urge topic. You can use "Drive" instead a noun "Impulse", if it concerns topics such as purpose, effect, throb.

Nearby Words: impulsive, impulsively, impulsion, impulsing, impulsed

emotional	emotional drive	emotional impulse
human	human drive	human impulse
high	high drive	high impulse
initial	initial drive	initial impulse
Other adjectives: single, strong, powerful, constant, sexual, creative, new, next.

But this is why Dr Woodward prefers "impulse engine" for a Mach Effect drive.

Source: Reactionless Drive
By the end of the film, the ship seems to have undergone minor refits after a year of repair, particularly on the impulse engine and warp drive components on the nacelles◊.

Source: Film / Star Trek Into Darkness
The best explanations of Star Trek drive mechanics posit that both impulse and warp drive do not move the ship at all but bend space (for impulse) or space and time (for warp).

Source: Not the Fall That Kills You

Cite this Source

Impulse and Drive. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/drive/impulse

Drive & Impulse. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/drive/impulse>.

Impulse or Drive. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/drive/impulse.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "drive" and "impulse" have occurred on timeline