Impel is very similar in meaning to compel, and often a perfect synonym, though it tends to suggest even more strongly an inner drive to do something and a greater urgency to act, especially for moral reasons. But when impel takes its noun and adjective forms, it changes slightly. So an impulse—such as "impulse buying", when you suddenly see something cool and know you've got to have it—often isn't based on anything very serious. And impulsive behavior in general, such as blurting out something stupid on the spur of the moment, is the kind of thing you're supposed to get over when you grow up.
move is very general and implies no more than the fact of changing position.
moved the furniture
actuate stresses transmission of power so as to work or set in motion.
turbines actuated by waterpower
drive implies imparting forward and continuous motion and often stresses the effect rather than the impetus.
a ship driven aground by hurricane winds
impel is usually figurative and suggests a great motivating impetus.
a candidate impelled by ambition
Examples of impel in a Sentence
His interest in the American Civil War impelled him to make repeated visits to Gettysburg.
She felt impelled to give a speech after the performance.
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But the 1933 Cuban Revolution impelled his family’s flight from the island, dashing Desi’s hopes of a legal career.—Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 To do that, SoFi must be among the small number of public companies that continues to provide upbeat forecasts – as tariff uncertainty impels many public companies to stop offering guidance.—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 These are questions Li rarely directly poses but which the reader is inevitably impelled to ask.—Daphne Merkin, New York Times, 18 May 2025 Powerful domestic pressures impel and constrain both countries’ foreign policy choices.—Lee Hsien Loong, Foreign Affairs, 4 June 2020 See All Example Sentences for impel
Word History
Etymology
Middle English impellen, from Latin impellere, from in- + pellere to drive — more at felt
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