excite

verb

ex·​cite ik-ˈsīt 

ek-

excited; exciting

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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

• charge
• electrify
• exhilarate
• galvanize
• intoxicate
• pump up
• thrill
• titillate
• turn on

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

That effort gets people excited and invested in the effort to bring these films and create a community collectively. —Liz Rothaus Betrand, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2024

In anticipation of this Friday's release of her new album, Act II: Cowboy Carter, Queen Bey, 42, got fans excited by teasing the tracklist on Wednesday. —Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024

The best time to visit Finland depends on what lighting excites you the most: 24/7 daylight, or the neon green aurora borealis against the night skies? —Condé Nast Traveller, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024

Folks got especially excited when Bing mysteriously cached search results for GPT-4.5 Turbo on OpenAI’s website, though the company says this was not them and there are no upcoming releases planned. —Maxwell Zeff, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024

Clinicians were excited when the FDA approved zuranolone last August, believing the pill form, taken once a day at home over two weeks, will be more accessible to women compared with the three-day hospital stay for the IV infusion. —April Dembosky, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024

Felicia, of course, was excited by the opportunity to participate in a higher-quality production. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024

As time went on, Jake graduated from high school in 2007, and had been excited about beginning fall courses at Columbia College Chicago. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024

The small crowd at C-Boy’s was thoroughly excited by the performance, which lasted about five minutes. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French exciter, from Latin excitare, from ex- + citare to rouse — more at cite

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

excite

verb

ex·​cite ik-ˈsīt 

excited; exciting

1

: to stir up feeling in

ideas that excite young people

2

: to cause to be felt or done

excite admiration

posters excited interest in the show

3

a

: energize sense 2a

b

: to produce a magnetic field in

4

: to increase the activity of (as nervous tissue) : stimulate

5

: to raise (as an atom) to a higher energy level

exciter noun

Medical Definition

excite

transitive verb

ex·​cite ik-ˈsīt 

excited; exciting

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