titillate

1 of 2

verb

tit·​il·​late ˈti-tə-ˌlāt 

titillated; titillating

transitive verb

1

: to excite pleasurably : arouse by stimulation

2

: tickle sense 1

intransitive verb

: to act as a stimulant to pleasurable excitement

titillation

ˌti-tə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

titillative

ˈti-tə-ˌlā-tiv 

adjective

titillation

2 of 2

noun

tit·​il·​la·​tion ˌtitᵊlˈāshən 

-itᵊl-

plural -s

1

: the action of titillating or the state of being titillated

especially : a pleasurable excitement or stimulation (as of the mind or senses)

2

: a sensation of being titillated : a transient reaction from or as if from being tickled : a slight thrill especially of pleasure

Synonyms of titillate

Verb

• excite
• thrill
• electrify

Examples of titillate in a Sentence

Verb

a film made to titillate the audience

writing that titillates and provokes

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Lawrence did not write those scenes to titillate, though. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

At the time, there were no algorithms designed to feed you content meant to titillate, provoke or keep your attention. —Larry Magid, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026

Elaborate stages are built for the camera close-ups as much as the crowd, often featuring prefab cinematic interludes, ornately detailed costumes, titillating dance moves and surreal, maximalist graphics. —Andrea Domanick, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026

The others followed, and the titillated-horrified crowd quietly walked back into the night. —Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin titillatus, past participle of titillare

Noun

Middle English titillacione, from Latin titillation-, titillatio, from titillatus (past participle of titillare to titillate) + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1620, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for titillate

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

Kids Definition

titillate

verb

tit·​il·​late ˈtit-ᵊl-ˌāt 

titillated; titillating

1

: tickle entry 1 sense 1

2

: to excite pleasurably

titillation

ˌtit-ᵊl-ˈā-shən 

noun