AROUSE Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

arouse

verb

ə-ˈrau̇z

Definition of arouse

as in to awaken

to cause to stop sleeping the rooster's crow aroused me from my deep sleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to awake

to cease to be asleep set the alarm so we would arouse at 5:00 a.m.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to provoke

to rouse to strong feeling or action the court's controversial decision aroused many to protest and to lobby the legislature for a constitutional amendment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of arouse The song was inspired by his boyfriend, who, when aroused, came over his head. — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026 In the hour-long special, taped the Skirball in New York City in March, Barone aims to shock, amuse, and arouse. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 June 2026 Overview The emergence of teleSUR has aroused significant interest due to its uniqueness of being the first regional television channel purely financed by more than three Latin American states. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026 There may be many spouses out there who are aroused by mother-in-law cosplay. — John Hodgman, New York Times, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for arouse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouse

Verb

Like Harvey, Williams was asleep when she was awakened by a phone call from her husband, who was out of town.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Of course, be sure to call 911 immediately if the child is unconscious or cannot be awakened, is having difficulty breathing, has a seizure, or is experiencing another life-threatening symptom.

— Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of awaken

Verb

Back in 2018, Tarantino reportedly awoke in the middle of the night to find two burglars inside his home.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Alice gets to keep her leg, albeit with extensive scarring, and Anna does her best to forget about the sacrificial part of the pact until she is awoken one night by a noise downstairs.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of awake

Verb

One of its major objectives was to provoke Western states into attacking their own democracies, in a kind of auto-immune response to terrorism, in which the effort to defend the political body corroded it from within.

— Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
The development provokes a leadership shake-up on both committees, prompting speculation on who will fill the spots when the next Congress opens in January.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of provoke

Verb

Nobody ever seriously believed Belichick was going to morph into a headphones-wearing, sideline-waking Susan Lucci, the soap opera megastar who waited 19 years before finally winning a Daytime Emmy.

— Steve Buckley, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
The best music; Cars still had a little style and nothing woke about sports.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of wake

Verb

Where else, after all, but at one’s alma mater can a 40-year-old do a keg stand to rousing applause?

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
The tennis ace stepped behind the club’s plush bar to serve his signature drink, Fritzy Spicy Margarita, and welcomed invitees with a rousing toast.

— Paul Chi, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of rouse

Verb

Bunch said that one of his goals in the head role was to encourage Americans to embrace ambiguity and recognize that America is a complicated, multifaceted nation.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
The stated purpose would be to encourage more people to fill out the forms without fear of having their privacy violated.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of encourage

Verb

Opposition leaders say Meloni’s government has yet to find concrete ways to stimulate long-term economic growth beyond just controlling public debt and state deficits.

— Silvia Stellacci, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Once inside the brain, the nanoparticles would be controlled—to stimulate neurons in specific areas of the brain or to read neuron activity—through a specialized cap or headset containing magnetic coils.

— Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of stimulate

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arousals

arouse

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“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouse. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of arouse

verb

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