impetus
impetus — noun
1. A force or influence that gives people a fresh reason to put extra effort into a
A force or influence that gives people a fresh reason to put extra effort into an activity, or that helps a slow or stuck process begin to advance.
The new government grant gave a fresh impetus to the town's small businesses.
collocation: give fresh impetus to
Hana's success in the science fair gave her classmates the impetus to start their own experiments.
impetus for [sb] to [verb] pattern
The discovery of oil in the region became a major impetus for economic development.
Without the impetus of public demand, the company would never have reconsidered its outdated policy.
- stimulus
more direct and often used for immediate reactions; stronger biological or economic connotation
- motivation
more personal and internal; focuses on a person's own desire to act
- encouragement
warmer and more personal; usually involves positive emotional support from others
- deterrent
something that discourages or prevents action
文法句型
impetus + for + noun phrase
give/provide + impetus + to-infinitive
gain/lose + impetus
用法筆記
Frequently used with the verbs give, provide, gain, or lose. The subject is often an event, discovery, policy, or social trend rather than a person.
常見錯誤
2. The continuing force that keeps a moving object travelling in the same direction
The continuing force that keeps a moving object travelling in the same direction, without any extra push.
The rolling ball gained impetus as it raced down the steep hillside.
impetus of a moving physical object (gain + impetus)
Hamza pushed the swing harder, giving it enough impetus to reach the high branches.
The bicycle's own impetus carried it halfway up the next rise before it stopped.
A spacecraft leaving the atmosphere needs the impetus of its boosters to escape Earth's gravity.
- momentum
everyday equivalent; far more common in speech and informal writing
- propulsion
emphasises the act of pushing forward rather than the continuing force after the push stops
文法句型
impetus + carries + object + adverbial
gain + impetus
用法筆記
Mainly appears in formal, technical, or academic writing about physics. In everyday spoken English, the word momentum is far more common for this meaning.