titillating 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of titillatingnext
1
as in interesting

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2
as in prurient

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titillating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of titillate
as in thrilling
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings tabloids titillate their readers with racy details about the private lives of media-created celebrities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 titillating
Adjective
This usually led to a titillating piece of gossip in return. — Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026 This week, Kacey Musgraves is feeling frisky on a titillating new single, James Blake stretches time and space on the orchestral closer of his first independent record, and Kim Gordon fuses trap and grunge on a Play Me standout. — Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
Bracketed by a song about ICE disappearing US citizens and another song with a visceral description of torture, this erotic vision of national unity is more than simply titillating. — Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026 Trump’s frenetic social media activity is also aimed more at titillating his hardcore online supporters (and, again, amusing himself) than persuading swing voters. — W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for titillating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for titillating
  1. interesting
  2. prurient
  3. thrilling
  4. tantalizing
  5. racy
  6. exciting
  7. provocative
  8. lascivious
Adjective
  • Among the most interesting pendant necklaces of summer 2026, fish stand out.
    — Selene Oliva, Glamour, 18 July 2026
  • But that doesn’t mean your arrangement should be any less interesting or beautiful.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Definition of interesting
Adjective
  • What if the creature from John Carpenter’s The Thing had a prurient interest in one of the researchers?
    — Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
  • If minors are sent nude or otherwise prurient photos, the images are blurred.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Definition of prurient
Verb
  • Argentina advanced to its second straight World Cup final after a thrilling 2-1 win over England on Wednesday.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 July 2026
  • And yet, watching The Odyssey, which is a whole lot of movie, some of it thrilling, what becomes amusingly apparent is that Odysseus actually makes the ultimate Nolan protagonist.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of thrilling
Adjective
  • The tantalizing idea of a four-day workweek has become a reality in pockets of the country.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 July 2026
  • One tantalizing possibility in managing this heat are thermoelectric products that convert heat directly into electricity.
    — Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of tantalizing
Adjective
  • Gone are the days when the racy content of a show like Love Island USA—where contestants wear next to nothing and more than one has been kicked off for questionable social media posts—would scare advertisers off.
    — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • In racy photos posted by Kardashian, the longtime Kardashian-Jenner family friend is seen toned and tanned, her hair messy.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Definition of racy
Verb
  • Major Wilson, 17, has been around horses most of his life and now spends much of his time helping younger riders get ready, showing them how to saddle their horses without exciting them.
    — Jhair Romero, Houston Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2026
  • For Harrington and her husband Dante, the thought of triplets was shocking but exciting all the same.
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Definition of exciting
Adjective
  • The Shards could similarly prove to be a sensationalized and provocative romp, given the tone of the source material and the general vibe of both Ellis’ literary works and Murphy’s shows.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 14 July 2026
  • The former leader remains jailed while appealing a life sentence for rebellion and a 30-year term over provocative drone flights, a saga that has tested South Korea’s democratic institutions.
    — Kim Tong-Hyung, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of provocative
Adjective
  • The 1962 film version featured a more innocent family with a daughter who’s presexual and thus a naïve object of lust for Robert Mitchum’s casually lascivious Cady.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • On Wednesday, Nakashima remained in jail at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $45,000 bond on three counts of lewd and lascivious battery by an authority figure.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of lascivious

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titillates
titillating
titillation
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Cite this Entry

“Titillating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/titillating. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on titillating

Nglish: Translation of titillating for Spanish Speakers

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