aroused; arousing
1
: to awaken from sleep
was aroused from a deep sleep by a loud noise
2
: to stimulate to action or to bodily readiness for activity : excite
a book that has aroused debate
3
: to excite (someone) sexually : to cause sexual arousal in (someone)
… girls whose perfume scent frightened him and aroused him.—
Elizabeth Berg
Elizabeth Berg
: to awake from sleep : stir
Examples of arouse in a Sentence
The report aroused a great deal of public interest.
The husky sound of her voice could always arouse him.
Their proposal is certain to arouse the opposition.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stubborn inflation and the potential for tariffs to drive up prices have aroused significant fears among policymakers and consumers that household budgets and the economy as a whole will be under significant strain for the foreseeable future.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The horrors of Gaza have rightly aroused international outrage.
—Sam Fleischacker, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
In fact, studies have found that couples who share novel and arousing activities report greater satisfaction.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Still, some outdoor visitors seem to arouse the ants more than others and get stung as soon as the ants land.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The horrors of Gaza have rightly aroused international outrage.
—Sam Fleischacker, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
In fact, studies have found that couples who share novel and arousing activities report greater satisfaction.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Still, some outdoor visitors seem to arouse the ants more than others and get stung as soon as the ants land.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arouse. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
arouse
transitive verb
aroused; arousing
1
a
: to awake from sleep
b
: to rouse or stimulate to action
c
: to excite (someone) sexually : to cause sexual arousal in (someone)
2
: to give rise to
a response aroused by a stimulus
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share