excite

verb

ex·cite | \ ik-ˈsīt

How to pronounce excite (audio)

, ek-\

excited; exciting

Definition of excite

transitive verb

1a : to call to activity

b : to rouse to an emotional response scenes to excite the hardest man to pity

c : to arouse (something, such as a strong emotional response) by appropriate stimuli excite enthusiasm for the new regime— Arthur Knight

2a : energize excite an electromagnet

b : to produce a magnetic field in excite a dynamo

3 : to increase the activity of (something, such as a living organism) : stimulate

4 : to raise (an atomic nucleus, an atom, a molecule, etc.) to a higher energy level

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about excite

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Choose the Right Synonym for excite

provoke, excite, stimulate, pique, quicken mean to arouse as if by pricking. provoke directs attention to the response called forth. my stories usually provoke laughter excite implies a stirring up or moving profoundly. news that excited anger and frustration stimulate suggests a rousing out of lethargy, quiescence, or indifference. stimulating conversation pique suggests stimulating by mild irritation or challenge. that remark piqued my interest quicken implies beneficially stimulating and making active or lively. the high salary quickened her desire to have the job

Examples of excite in a Sentence

ideas that excite young people Our announcement excited the children. The posters excited much interest in the show.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fasting is not the first dietary approach to excite researchers. — Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, "Not So Fast," 24 Sep. 2018 But insiders expect Luke to be excited about the challenge of becoming James’ No. 1 assistant coach. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "L.A. rolls out red carpet for LeBron and son," 1 July 2018 That the culprit is misinformation, or a failure to excite the imagination, is a persistent, but self-defeating, fantasy. — Nathaniel Rich, The Atlantic, "The Novel That Asks, ‘What Went Wrong With Mankind?’," 11 May 2018 The companies say many customers were excited to greet the faux robot car, and some even talked to the automated voice or waved goodbye. — Mike Colias, WSJ, "Tonight’s Dinner? In a Cooler-Sized Robot That Knows Where You Live," 11 Mar. 2019 Days before the finale episodes, Brooks told fans that he was excited to invite Ketterer to perform in his upcoming October show. — Morgan M. Evans, Fox News, "'AGT' star Michael Ketterer will not perform at Garth Brooks concert after domestic violence arrest," 25 Sep. 2018 When Poppy met Oskar Berkus and Brent said Poppy was excited from the start and had no problem welcoming a sibling into the home. — Taylor Seely, USA TODAY, "Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent open up about surrogacy and their 'beautiful' family journey," 24 June 2018 Before the bikes even arrived in Hartford, McEwen said she was excited about the prospect of LimeBikes. — Nina Cochran, Courant Community, "LimeBikes Have Been In Hartford For One Week; Here's What Some Riders And Observers Think So Far," 13 June 2018 White said she and Xavier were excited to catch a glimpse of the players in the parade. — Sophie Haigney, San Francisco Chronicle, "Warriors Parade: Fans come out en masse for what’s become an annual party," 12 June 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near excite

Statistics for excite

Last Updated

19 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for excite

The first known use of excite was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for excite

excite

verb

English Language Learners Definition of excite

: to cause feelings of enthusiasm in (someone) : to make (someone) feel energetic and eager to do something

: to cause (a particular emotion or reaction) to be felt or to happen

: to increase the activity of (something, such as nerve tissue)

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

excite

verb

ex·cite | \ ik-ˈsīt

\

excited; exciting

Kids Definition of excite

1 : to stir up feeling in The announcement excited the children.

2 : to increase the activity of This chemical excites nerve cells.

excite

transitive verb

ex·cite | \ ik-ˈsīt

\

excited; exciting

Medical Definition of excite

1 : to increase the activity of (as a living organism) : stimulate

2 : to raise (as an atomic nucleus, an atom, or a molecule) to a higher energy level

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