impelled

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'impelled' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to mean the feeling or urge to do something, usually something a person feels compelled to do because of a strong moral or social obligation or a desire for a specific outcome. Example sentence: His sense of justice impelled him to take up the challenge.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

We find by experience, that a body at rest or in motion continues for ever in its present state, till put from it by some new cause; and that a body impelled takes as much motion from the impelling body as it acquires itself.

SEP

Since 1913 generation after generation of composers – from Varèse to Boulez, Bartók to Ligeti — has felt impelled to face the challenges set by this seminal masterwork.

The Guardian - Music

Thus, even those of us on the left slowly are impelled to cool our radical jets and accept that on the road to curbing inequality we must work within a democratic framework and make many compromises.

The Guardian - Opinion

It was questions such as these that impelled the Scots towards union with England in the 18th century, and gave all parts of the United Kingdom an interest in developing a shared British identity.

The Economist

However gruelling their experience first time, they are impelled to try again by three formidable human motivators: pride, ego and revenge.History bears this out.

The Economist

Indeed, neither side seems impelled to try very hard.

The Economist

And he might have felt impelled by his personal history.In 1909 Mallory injured his right ankle, and it never properly healed.

The Economist

His determination to develop the state has almost certainly been impelled by his need to transform his own image since 2002.

The Economist

The revived cold-war rhetoric has impelled pragmatists to push harder for a common EU energy policy (supposedly a way to reduce dependence on Russian gas) and to beef up the EU's relations with its eastern neighbours in Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia.At the moment, however, all this is mostly talk that does little to reassure the EU's ex-communist states.

The Economist

But his realistic advisers say that, since the House may nonetheless feel impelled to impeach, his best solution will be some sort of "plea bargain": a willingness (there is no compulsion in the constitution) to accept Congress's censure, and possibly pay a fine.That was good advice before this week's election, and it remains good afterwards.

The Economist

Iran has been impelled into missile-building by memories of its weakness during its war with Iraq in the 1980s, when it was unable to retaliate in kind to the Iraqi missiles that caused panic, and thousands of civilian deaths, among its urban population.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "impelled" when you want to convey a sense of being strongly driven or urged to do something due to internal or external forces. Ensure the context clearly indicates the source of the impelling force.

Common error

Avoid using "impelled" when a weaker term like "encouraged" or "suggested" would be more appropriate. "Impelled" suggests a significant driving force, so ensure the context warrants such a strong term.

Linguistic Context

"Impelled" functions as the past tense and past participle of the verb "impel", indicating that someone or something has been driven or urged to do something. It highlights the force or influence behind an action, as seen in examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

39%

Encyclopedias

27%

Science

24%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "impelled" is the past tense of the verb "impel", indicating a sense of being driven or urged to action. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in English. The word appears most frequently in News & Media, Encyclopedias and Scientific texts, which reflects a neutral to formal register. When writing, remember that "impelled" suggests a strong driving force. For alternative phrasing, consider options like "compelled" or "motivated", ensuring the term aligns with the context's intended strength of influence.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

compelled

Similar in meaning, but suggests a stronger sense of obligation or necessity.

motivated

Focuses on the internal drive or reason behind an action.

driven

Implies a strong internal force pushing someone towards a goal.

prompted

Suggests a more immediate cause or trigger for an action.

urged

Implies encouragement or persuasion from an external source.

pushed

Suggests a forceful or insistent influence.

constrained

Implies being restricted to a course of action.

obliged

Implies a moral or legal duty to act.

induced

Suggests persuasion or enticement to act.

incited

Suggests provoking or stirring up action, often with negative connotations.

FAQs

How to use "impelled" in a sentence?

"Impelled" is typically used to describe a force that drives someone to act. For example: "His conscience "impelled" him to confess."

What can I say instead of "impelled"?

You can use alternatives like "compelled", "motivated", or "driven" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "impelled by" or "impelled to"?

Both "impelled by" and "impelled to" are correct, but they have slightly different meanings. "Impelled by" indicates the source of the driving force (e.g., "impelled by guilt"), while "impelled to" indicates the action taken (e.g., "impelled to act").

What's the difference between "impelled" and "compelled"?

"Impelled" suggests a strong internal or external force driving action, while "compelled" often implies a legal or moral obligation.