arouse

\ ə-ˈrau̇z

How to pronounce arouse (audio)

\

aroused; arousing

Definition of arouse

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

3 : to excite (someone) sexually : to cause sexual arousal in (someone) … girls whose perfume scent frightened him and aroused him.— Elizabeth Berg

intransitive verb

: to awake from sleep : stir

Other Words from arouse Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about arouse

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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 As such, winning at something can spike adrenaline and lead to feeling more aroused. — Marie Claire, "Could Cleaning Your Bathroom Get You Laid?," 29 Oct. 2013 Adam's graphic, erotic account of a gang bang in a Prague bathhouse is intended to arouse, just as an HIV scare that follows is meant to jolt. — John Norris, Billboard, "In Broadway's Powerful Queer Epic 'The Inheritance,' Matthew Lopez Bridges an LGBTQ Generation Gap," 7 Nov. 2019 That in itself could be considered a political statement in the context of China, but not one likely to arouse censors. — Steven Litt, cleveland, "MOCA Cleveland’s ‘Invisible Cities’ exhibit highlights powerful art of Chinese ‘trickster mixer-upper’ Liu Wei," 6 Oct. 2019 Democracy Trump’s world view is consistent with the virulent white ethnic nationalism that seems to arouse his most passionate supporters. — John J Stremlau, Quartz Africa, "The Trump circus was a distraction from Africa’s climate change fight at the UN summit," 2 Oct. 2019 Some of her suggestions (stroke the rim of your glass to arouse your date’s desire) might raise eyebrows. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "A Sexologist, a Comedian and a Woman on a 'Man Fast' Rewrite the Rules of Dating," 8 Aug. 2019 Officials from the Wildlife Trust of India, a nature conservation group, set off firecrackers in the afternoon to arouse the big cat from its slumber. — Greg Norman | Fox News, Fox News, "Tired tiger takes cat nap inside family's living room while fleeing fatal floods in India," 19 July 2019 His ongoing cruelties directed at men, women, and children at the southern border is a naked attempt to strike fear into would-be migrants throughout Mexico and Central America and to arouse the approval of white voters. — David Remnick, The New Yorker, "A Racist in the White House," 16 July 2019 That is not the only thing to have aroused the suspicion of regulators and politicians. — The Economist, "Calls to rein in the tech titans are getting louder," 16 July 2019

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.

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Last Updated

15 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arouse. Accessed 16 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for arouse

arouse

verb

English Language Learners Definition of arouse

: to cause (an emotional or mental state)

: to excite (someone) sexually

: to wake (someone) from sleep

See the full definition for arouse in the English Language Learners Dictionary

arouse

\ ə-ˈrau̇z

\

aroused; arousing

Kids Definition of arouse

1 : to awaken from sleep

2 : to cause to feel arouse anger

3 : to cause to become active or upset arouse the opposition

arouse

transitive verb

\ ə-ˈrau̇z

\

aroused; arousing

Medical Definition of arouse

1a : 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

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