impel

/ɪmˈpɛl/

Other forms: impelled; impels; impelling

Impel means to force to move forward. A person sleep walking might move as if impelled by a force beyond their control. Loneliness might impel you to talk to someone you don't know.

Impel derives from the Latin in- "toward" + pellere "to drive," which also brings us compel "to force" and propel "to drive forward." The boy was propelled by his fears, but when he said fear of bullies impelled him to stay home on Halloween, his mother compelled him to dress and go outside.

Definitions of impel

1. verb

   urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate
   synonyms: force

   type of:

   cause, do, make

   give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
2. verb

   cause to move forward with force
   synonyms: propel

   types:

   flip

   move with a flick or light motion

   rocket

   propel with a rocket

   carry

   propel or give impetus to

   kick

   drive or propel with the foot

   pole, punt

   propel with a pole

   hit

   cause to move by striking

   throw

   propel through the air

   drive

   push, propel, or press with force

   launch

   propel with force

   catapult

   shoot forth or launch, as if from a catapult

   project, send off

   throw, send, or cast forward

   loft

   propel through the air

   play

   shoot or hit in a particular manner

   foul

   hit a foul ball

   cannon

   make a cannon

   clap

   strike together so as to produce a sharp percussive noise

   flap down, slam

   throw violently

   drop-kick, dropkick

   drop and kick (a ball) as it touches the ground, as for a field goal

   place-kick

   kick (a ball) from a stationary position, in football

   drop-kick, dropkick

   make the point after a touchdown with a dropkick

   punt

   kick the ball

   ground out

   make an out by hitting the ball on the ground

   toe

   drive (a golf ball) with the toe of the club

   shank

   hit (a golf ball) with the heel of a club, causing the ball to veer in the wrong direction

   pitch

   hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with a backspin

   fly

   hit a fly

   hike, snap

   put in play with a snap

   whang

   propel or hit with force

   undercut

   strike (the ball) in golf, tennis, or hockey obliquely downward so as to give a backspin or elevation to the shot

   putt

   strike (a golf ball) lightly, with a putter

   heel

   strike with the heel of the club

   toe

   hit (a golf ball) with the toe of the club

   bunker

   hit a golf ball into a bunker

   bounce

   hit something so that it bounces

   backhand

   hit a tennis ball backhand

   pop

   hit a pop-fly

   follow through

   carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball

   shell

   hit the pitches of hard and regularly

   ground

   hit onto the ground

   ground

   hit a groundball

   ground

   throw to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage

   top

   strike (the top part of a ball in golf, baseball, or pool) giving it a forward spin

   pull

   hit in the direction that the player is facing when carrying through the swing

   kill

   hit with great force

   kill

   hit with so much force as to make a return impossible, in racket games

   connect

   hit or play a ball successfully

   drive

   hit very hard, as by swinging a bat horizontally

   drive

   strike with a driver, as in teeing off

   hole, hole out

   hit the ball into the hole

   bunt, drag a bunt

   hit a ball in such a way so as to make it go a short distance

   snick

   hit a glancing blow with the edge of the bat

   racket

   hit (a ball) with a racket

   carry, dribble

   propel, "Carry the ball"

   slice

   hit a ball and put a spin on it so that it travels in a different direction

   hook

   hit a ball and put a spin on it so that it travels to the left

   single

   hit a single

   double

   hit a two-base hit

   triple

   hit a three-base hit

   prostrate

   throw down flat, as on the ground

   cast, hurl, hurtle

   throw forcefully

   heave

   throw with great effort

   bombard, pelt

   cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile

   defenestrate

   throw through or out of a window

   deliver, pitch

   throw or hurl from the mound to the batter, as in baseball

   shy

   throw quickly

   drive

   cause to move rapidly by striking or throwing with force

   deep-six, throw overboard

   throw from a boat

   ridge

   throw soil toward (a crop row) from both sides

   jettison

   throw as from an airplane

   fling

   throw with force or recklessness

   lob

   propel in a high arc

   chuck, toss

   throw carelessly

   float

   put into the water

   blast off

   launch with great force

   skim, skip, skitter

   cause to skip over a surface

   smash

   hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke

   shoot

   throw or propel in a specific direction or towards a specific objective

   volley

   hit before it touches the ground

   croquet

   drive away by hitting with one's ball, "croquet the opponent's ball"

   loft

   kick or strike high in the air

   juggle

   throw, catch, and keep in the air several things simultaneously

   flick, flip

   cause to move with a flick

   pass

   throw (a ball) to another player

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense