stimulate

verb

stim·​u·​late ˈstim-yə-ˌlāt 

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

ˌstim-yə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

stimulative

ˈstim-yə-ˌlā-tiv 

adjective

stimulator

ˈstim-yə-ˌlā-tər 

noun

stimulatory

ˈstim-yə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

Synonyms

• amp (up)
• animate
• brace
• energize
• enliven
• fillip
• fire
• ginger (up)
• invigorate
• jazz (up)
• juice up
• jump-start
• liven (up)
• pep (up)
• quicken
• spike
• vitalize
• vivify
• zip (up)

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

The sun confronting Pluto stimulates ideological power struggles. —USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024

Meet our experts 1/22 Best Vibrator Overall: Lelo Sona 2 Cruise $149 $119 Lelo This suction vibrator has a long mouth that fits around the head of the clit and stimulates it with sonic airwaves that dial up from gentle to rumbly and intense (without actually touching you). —Amanda Chatel, Glamour, 19 Apr. 2024

Such investments need not come just from the government but should also provide incentives to stimulate more private funding, as did the CHIPS and Science Act. —Eric Schmidt, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

Retinol, a form of vitamin A, can stimulate tremendous amounts of collagen production that can reduce the appearance of pores and wrinkles. —Larry Stansbury, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024

Regularly massaging the scalp may stimulate blood circulation to the scalp skin and hair follicles. —Alyssa Hui, Health, 16 Apr. 2024

The excited ham atoms spontaneously release photons, which stimulate the release of identical photons, amplifying the light. —Susumu Noda, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024

Businesses oppose those efforts, along with the administration’s aggressive antitrust enforcement and other initiatives meant to stimulate competition. —Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024

The Service Employees International Union, which pushed for the fast-food wage hike, points to research that shows wage increases are actually good for businesses and stimulate the economy. —Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing stimulate

• hyper-stimulate

Kids Definition

stimulate

verb

stim·​u·​late ˈstim-yə-ˌlāt 

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 

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

ˈstim-yə-ˌlāt-iv 

adjective

stimulatory

-lə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- 

adjective