salivate

verb

sal·​i·​vate ˈsa-lə-ˌvāt 

salivated; salivating

intransitive verb

1

: to have a flow of saliva especially in excess

2

: to show great desire or anticipation : drool

salivation

ˌsa-lə-ˈvā-shən 

noun

salivator

ˈsa-lə-ˌvā-tər 

noun

Synonyms of salivate

• drool
• spit

Examples of salivate in a Sentence

The smell alone was enough to make me salivate.

She was salivating at the prospect of traveling to Europe.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fox Sports executives are no doubt salivating at the idea of Crow-Armstrong leading the Cubs to a playoff showdown with Ohtani and the Dodgers, which could happen in the NL Championship Series if things go right for the Cubs. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026

It’s been two weeks since the Horned Frogs were upset 15-10 by North Carolina in Dublin, and the program has been salivating for a chance to get back on the field and put that result behind it. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

Fans crack jokes, salivate over new menu item When Domino’s shared its post about the new pizza, fans on social media cracked a few jokes. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026

The SummerSlam Night 2 main event started with a long staredown and some trash talk between Reigns and Rollins as fans salivated. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for salivate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

salivate

verb

sal·​i·​vate ˈsal-ə-ˌvāt 

salivated; salivating

: to produce or secrete saliva especially in large amounts

salivation

ˌsal-ə-ˈvā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

salivate

verb

sal·​i·​vate ˈsal-ə-ˌvāt 

salivated; salivating

transitive verb

: to produce an abnormal flow of saliva in (as by the use of mercury)

intransitive verb

: to have a flow of saliva especially in excess