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
That intense scarcity arouses a FOMO among very wealthy car lovers that allows Ferrari to charge prices like $250,000 for one of its entry-level cars, and $3 million for a hypercar like its F80.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Certainly, they are aroused by the concept of being ruinously in its thrall.
—Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
No one should forget that songs and lyrics, especially during dark and troubled times, can create awareness, be used to arouse indignation, even bring about social change.
—Ray Rahman, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
Yet the calmness of these denials aroused American suspicion.
—Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
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Phil Wahba, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Certainly, they are aroused by the concept of being ruinously in its thrall.
—Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
No one should forget that songs and lyrics, especially during dark and troubled times, can create awareness, be used to arouse indignation, even bring about social change.
—Ray Rahman, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
Yet the calmness of these denials aroused American suspicion.
—Big Think, 20 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 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
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