What does impelled mean?
Impelled is the past tense and past participle of impel, a formal and literary word meaning to drive someone toward an action. It often conveys a powerful motivation, such as ambition, fear, necessity, moral conviction, or an intense personal interest. The usual pattern is “impelled someone to do something,” as in “the evidence impelled him to reconsider,” or “impelled by curiosity.” Although the influence may be external, impelled can also emphasize an inner drive or determination. It is more forceful than simply “motivated” and more specific than the broad idea of being persuaded. In modern prose, it appears especially in journalism, biography, and literary description, where it helps convey an urgent or consequential reason behind a person’s actions. The form is inflected and should not be confused with expelled, which means removed or driven out, or impaled, which means pierced.
verbTo drive someone to do something, especially by strong motivation, persuasion, or necessity. In its usual form, it is the past tense and past participle of impel.
- Driven or compelled to act, especially by strong motivation, persuasion, or necessity.
"Her determination to finish the project impelled her to work through the night."
"Fear of failure impelled the climber to secure the rope before continuing."
"The lecturer was impelled by the discussion to reconsider her original argument."
Sometimes one thought is enough to propel a person across an entire life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does impelled come from?
Impelled comes from the Latin verb impellere, formed from in- or im-, meaning “in” or “into,” and pellere, meaning “to drive” or “to push.” English borrowed the form in the 16th century, initially with the sense of pushing or driving forward. The related words compel, expel, propel, and repel share the same Latin root, while impulse and impetus reflect the same family of forms.
Related word forms
How impelled is actually used
The word is formal and slightly literary. It is most often used in the construction “impelled someone to do something” or “impelled by something,” and it can suggest a powerful or urgent influence.
Easily confused with impelled
Both words describe a strong influence that drives someone to act, but compelled is generally used for an external force or necessity, while impelled often emphasizes motivation or inner drive.
Expelled means forced out or removed from a place, organization, or school, whereas impelled means driven toward action.
Impaled means pierced with a sharp object, while impelled means urged or driven toward action.