stimulate

verb

stim·​u·​late ˈstim-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce stimulate (audio)
stimulated; stimulating

transitive verb

1
: to excite to activity or growth or to greater activity : animate, arouse
2
a
: to function as a physiological stimulus to
b
: to arouse or affect by a stimulant (such as a drug)

intransitive verb

: to act as a stimulant or stimulus
stimulation noun
stimulative adjective
stimulator noun
stimulatory adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for stimulate

provoke, excite, stimulate, pique, quicken mean to arouse as if by pricking.

provoke directs attention to the response called forth.

my stories usually provoke laughter

excite implies a stirring up or moving profoundly.

news that excited anger and frustration

stimulate suggests a rousing out of lethargy, quiescence, or indifference.

stimulating conversation

pique suggests stimulating by mild irritation or challenge.

that remark piqued my interest

quicken implies beneficially stimulating and making active or lively.

the high salary quickened her desire to have the job

Examples of stimulate in a Sentence

A raise in employee wages might stimulate production. The economy was not stimulated by the tax cuts. a hormone that stimulates the growth of muscle tissue Their discussion stimulated him to research the subject more. He was stimulated by their discussion.
Recent Examples on the Web Other devices are slightly larger and pebble-shaped to stimulate more surface area at once. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 3 Mar. 2024 Find personalized incentives to stimulate potential purchases. Paul Ross, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Colombia’s migration director, Carlos Fernando García, said large numbers of Africans began appearing in Bogotá’s airport last spring after the government suspended transit visa requirements for citizens of several African countries to stimulate tourism. Annie Correal Federico Rios, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Berkley PowerBait Panfish Nibbles offer a pliable synthetic bait infused with scents formulated to stimulate feeding. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024 But because only some of the eggs exposed to sperm will become fertilized, and not all of those embryos will be viable, doctors give patients hormones to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, and then fertilize them all. Andrea Kane, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 Doctors had advised her to inject the medication to stimulate her ovaries at the same time every night. Tim Craig, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024 Many have a comb edge, which can be used to further stimulate the skin as well as the scalp, which also promotes relaxation and hair growth. Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 To stimulate flagging consumer confidence, Elon Musk lit a fuse at the start of last year that would spark a broader price war conflagration across the Chinese EV industry—one that has now been raging for months. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stimulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin stimulatus, past participle of stimulare, from stimulus goad; perhaps akin to Latin stilus stem, stylus — more at style

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stimulate was in 1566

Dictionary Entries Near stimulate

Cite this Entry

“Stimulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stimulate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stimulate

verb
stim·​u·​late ˈstim-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce stimulate (audio)
stimulated; stimulating
1
: to make active or more active : animate, arouse
stimulate industry
2
: to act on as a bodily stimulus or stimulant

Medical Definition

stimulate

transitive verb
stim·​u·​late -ˌlāt How to pronounce stimulate (audio)
stimulated; stimulating
1
: to excite to activity or growth or to greater activity
2
a
: to function as a physiological stimulus to (as a nerve or muscle)
b
: to arouse or affect by a stimulant (as a drug)
stimulative adjective
stimulatory adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on stimulate

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