titillate

1 of 2

verb

tit·​il·​late ˈti-tə-ˌlāt 

titillated; titillating

transitive verb

1

: to excite pleasurably : arouse by stimulation

2

: tickle sense 1

intransitive verb

: to act as a stimulant to pleasurable excitement

titillation

ˌti-tə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

titillative

ˈti-tə-ˌlā-tiv 

adjective

titillation

2 of 2

noun

tit·​il·​la·​tion ˌtitᵊlˈāshən 

-itᵊl-

plural -s

1

: the action of titillating or the state of being titillated

especially : a pleasurable excitement or stimulation (as of the mind or senses)

2

: a sensation of being titillated : a transient reaction from or as if from being tickled : a slight thrill especially of pleasure

Synonyms of titillate

Verb

• excite
• thrill
• electrify

Examples of titillate in a Sentence

Verb

a film made to titillate the audience

writing that titillates and provokes

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The comment at a rally last Sunday titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously, all but guaranteeing saturation news coverage and even more attention. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

But the action is so dependent on overwrought dialogue, red herrings, titillating close-ups, and a barrage of throwback songs that the story constantly takes a backseat. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026

Where to Follow Our Black Hat 2026 Coverage Black Hat’s briefing schedule is, as always, jam-packed with interesting demonstrations and titillating panel discussions. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026

The result is a genre of prose writing that continues to shock, titillate and entertain. — Literary Hub, 30 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin titillatus, past participle of titillare

Noun

Middle English titillacione, from Latin titillation-, titillatio, from titillatus (past participle of titillare to titillate) + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1620, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for titillate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

titillate

verb

tit·​il·​late ˈtit-ᵊl-ˌāt 

titillated; titillating

1

: tickle entry 1 sense 1

2

: to excite pleasurably

titillation

ˌtit-ᵊl-ˈā-shən 

noun