This is the 11957th most frequent Spanish word.
impulse
A sudden force or urge to act without thinking.
In this sentence, 'impulso' refers to a sudden desire or feeling that drives someone to take an action without much deliberation.
Compré este cuadro por un impulso espontáneo.
I bought this painting on a spontaneous impulse.
Here, 'impulso' is used in a technical context, referring to the force or energy imparted to the engine.
El ingeniero diseñó el sistema para optimizar el impulso del motor.
The engineer designed the system to optimize the engine's impulse.
In this instance, 'impulso' means a surge or boost of a particular emotion or state brought on by an external stimulus.