1
as in waking
to cause to stop sleeping
the rooster's crow aroused me from my deep sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awaking
to cease to be asleep
set the alarm so we would arouse at 5:00 a.m.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provoking
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in energizing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arousing
Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 4 Feb. 2023
Some research suggests that men around the world find a specific waist-to-hip ratio (0.7) to be most arousing.
—Ogi Ogas, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2011
Amazon Prime members can also ship items to a locker to avoid arousing suspicions when the parcel is delivered, Valentine Lent said.
—Amanda Pérez Pintado, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2022
That’s sort of gross, but also a strangely arousing way to describe the painful expansion of self that comes with falling in love.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2022
The supervisor also recommended performing the steps two to three hours after trying to interview members of a household to avoid arousing suspicions from higher-ups who could track where census takers had been through their IPhones.
—Mike Schneider, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Nov. 2020
Verb
Squeezing lube out of a bottle until the cold goop squirts out isn't the most arousing act.
—Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 4 Feb. 2023
Some research suggests that men around the world find a specific waist-to-hip ratio (0.7) to be most arousing.
—Ogi Ogas, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2011
Amazon Prime members can also ship items to a locker to avoid arousing suspicions when the parcel is delivered, Valentine Lent said.
—Amanda Pérez Pintado, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2022
That’s sort of gross, but also a strangely arousing way to describe the painful expansion of self that comes with falling in love.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2022
The supervisor also recommended performing the steps two to three hours after trying to interview members of a household to avoid arousing suspicions from higher-ups who could track where census takers had been through their IPhones.
—Mike Schneider, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arousing
Verb
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Yet when North Korea invaded South Korea, the United States intervened forcefully, pushing up to the Chinese border and provoking a ferocious Chinese counterattack.—
Michael Beckley,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
-
In 2008, the United States suggested that Georgia and Ukraine might eventually join the alliance but offered no concrete path to membership, thus provoking Russia without effectively deterring it.—
Michael Beckley,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Thursday’s swings also hit the bond market, which had been showing encouraging signals earlier in the day that stress may be easing.—
Time,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
-
At the time, Meta issued similar guidance, releasing an update that solved the breach and encouraging users to move to the latest version of WhatsApp.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Your letter completes our stimulating and fruitful relationship these several (many?) years.—
John Updike,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
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Best of all, admission is free for everyone on Tuesdays, providing a budget-friendly and intellectually stimulating way to spend an afternoon indoors.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Your Organization Is Your Family Most people spend more waking hours with colleagues than relatives.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
-
Students spend more waking hours a day at school than at home in the July-May.—
Madeleine Parrish,
The Arizona Republic,
8 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Demi Moore gave me a taste of her rousing Golden Globes speech at Saturday morning’s Indie Spirits brunch in Santa Monica.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2025
-
The use of that familiar John Williams score in the marketing implies a welcome return to the rousing spirit of the Christopher Reeve Superman films.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Their part of the set was the most invigorating of the night, with fans rapping every word to bona fide classics while eagerly awaiting the next guest.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
17 July 2025
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This is a vibrant and energizing fragrance that is simple in the beginning, then becomes deeper and more invigorating.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arousing. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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