arousal

noun

arous·al ə-ˈrau̇-zəl

plural arousals

Synonyms of arousal next

: the act of arousing someone or something

arousal from sleep

This belated arousal of the hunting instinct seemed to make almost another man of him.—

Jack London

: the state of being aroused

His work with animals had implicated adrenaline and noradrenaline in emotional arousal and memory.—

Daniel Goleman

: a state of physiological and psychological excitation caused by sexual contact or other erotic stimulation

Studies show 60% of patients taking the drugs experience some form of sexual dysfunction, ranging from loss of desire to problems with arousal and an inability to reach orgasm.—

Tara Parker-Pope

Examples of arousal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The process of arousal incorporates your body’s hormones, nerve signals, muscles, and blood vessels. —

Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023 Rotting in the Sun is shot in close quarters with handheld cameras and lots of close-ups, of faces and male anatomy in various stages of arousal (the film, showing in select theaters and streaming on MUBI starting Sept. 15, is very unrated). —

Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2023 These are stimulants that produce long-lasting mental arousal leading to wakefulness. —

Adrafinil.com, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023 Some brains don’t release enough arousal hormones in response to tasks, which leaves their owners feeling distracted or unmotivated. —

Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023 Phones are a boundless source of information, which can provoke a state of arousal and alertness. —

Mark Gurarie, Health, 27 Aug. 2023 The idea is to bring your partner to a high state of erotic arousal, then add an element of control that will blow their mind. —

Dominique Fluker, Essence, 13 July 2023 By binding to the cannabinoid receptors in the body, delta 8 may influence these processes and potentially promote a heightened sense of arousal. —

Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 4 July 2023 So screening a flick like the 2004 comedy hit Anchorman, which shows lead character Ron Burgundy in a state of arousal, might be a no-no. —

Lauren McGaughy, Dallas News, 24 Apr. 2023 See More

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