arousal

noun

arous·​al ə-ˈrau̇-zəl 

plural arousals

1

: 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

2

: 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

Their arousal centers are distorted. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026

Their arousal centers are distorted. —Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026

The goal is not orgasm but staying in a sustained state of arousal for an extended period of time. —Jennifer Pollitt, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026

Research supports expressive writing as a tool for reducing pre-sleep cognitive arousal. —Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

arouse + -al entry 2

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing arousal

• hyper-arousal

Rhymes for arousal

• espousal
• spousal

Medical Definition

arousal

noun

arous·​al ə-ˈrau̇-zəl 

1

a

: the act of arousing

arousal from sleep

b

: the state of being aroused

specifically : responsiveness to stimuli

… cells of the locus coeruleus, a brain center involved in maintaining attention and arousal …

—Science

2

: 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 …

—Tara Parker-Pope, The Wall Street Journal