arouse

play

verb \ ə-ˈrau̇z \

Definition of arouse

aroused; arousing

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

:to awake from sleep :stir

—

arousal

play \ə-ˈrau̇-zəl\ noun

See arouse defined for English-language learners

See arouse defined for kids

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 of arouse from the Web

However, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's global smash has aroused the interest of foreign tourists who want to get to know the place where the superstars were born, giving the country and community the hope of growing culturally.

— suzette fernandez, Billboard, "La Perla Neighborhood After 'Despacito': This is How They Do It Down in Puerto Rico," 4 Aug. 2017
One reason is the deployment since 2013 of the Rangers, a tough paramilitary force that has used overwhelming firepower, plus encounters, to arouse fear.

— The Economist, "The pushmi-pullyuWhat makes Pakistan so unfathomable," 22 July 2017
Winnie the Pooh is arousing the wrath of socialist censors Beijing.

— joseph hincks, Time, "China Has Banned Winnie the Pooh Once Again," 16 July 2017
During the shutdown, Christie aroused public anger by spending time with his family on Island Beach State Park, a beach that had been declared closed to the public.

— michael burke, Philly.com, "N.J. lawmakers act to pay workers furloughed during shutdown," 13 July 2017
His dissident thinking, meanwhile, aroused suspicion.

— edward hirsch, New Republic, "Czeslaw Milosz’s Invincible Reason," 30 June 2017
When Thea Spyer proposed to Edie Windsor in 1967, Windsor asked her for a diamond circle pin instead of a ring, fearing that the latter would arouse the curiosity of her co-workers at IBM.

— lynn yaeger, Vogue, "Celebrating Edie Windsor, Gay Marriage Pioneer," 20 June 2017
Few accessories have aroused such commentary, for and against, than the flower crown, so trendy of late among the neo-hippie festival crowd.

— Vogue, "The History of Flower Crowns and the Women Who Wore Them: From Frida Kahlo to Kate Moss," 19 June 2017
Their eyes have beheld, as from the wings of a huge stage, that glorious metamorphosis of a dormant people aroused at last to exaltation.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Terror and Twitter," 5 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arouse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of arouse

a- (as in arise) + rouse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1616

See Words from the same year

arouse Synonyms

Synonyms

wake, awake, awaken, knock up [British], rouse, waken

Antonyms

lull

Related Words

roust, rout; raise, revive; reawaken, rewake; agitate, bestir, disturb, excite, provoke, stimulate, stir

Near Antonyms

hypnotize, mesmerize

AROUSE Defined for English Language Learners

arouse

play

verb

Definition of arouse for English Language Learners

: to cause (an emotional or mental state)
: to excite (someone) sexually
: to wake (someone) from sleep

AROUSE Defined for Kids

arouse

play

verb \ ə-ˈrau̇z \

Definition of arouse for Students

aroused; arousing

1 :to awaken from sleep

2 :to cause to feel

arouse anger

3 :to cause to become active or upset

arouse the opposition

Medical Dictionary

arouse

play

transitive verb \ ə-ˈrau̇z \

medical Definition of arouse

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

—

arousable

play \ə-ˈrau̇-zə-bəl\ adjective

—

arousability

play \ə-ˌrau̇-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun plural -ties

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arouse

Definition of arouse

arousal

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Origin and Etymology of arouse

arouse Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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AROUSE Defined for English Language Learners

arouse

Definition of arouse for English Language Learners

AROUSE Defined for Kids

arouse

Definition of arouse for Students

Medical Dictionary

arouse

medical Definition of arouse

arousable

arousability

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