stimulate - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Borrowed from Latin stimulātus, perfect passive participle of stimulō (“to urge, goad on”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Latin stimulus (“a sting or prick; a stimulus, goad”).

stimulate (third-person singular simple present stimulates, present participle stimulating, simple past and past participle stimulated)

  1. To encourage into action.
    Synonyms: encourage, induce, incite, provoke; see also Thesaurus:incite
    stimulate the economy
    • 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter II, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 18:
      To most others Lord Allerton's obvious preference for Mary would have been an insuperable obstacle; it only served to stimulate her ladyship.
  2. To arouse an organism to functional activity.
    Synonyms: animate, arouse, energize, energise, excite, perk up; see also Thesaurus:enliven
    Synonyms: de-energize, sedate, stifle
    stimulate my mind
    He was sexually stimulated by the dancer's moves.

to encourage into action

to arouse an organism to functional activity

stimulate

  1. present adverbial passive participle of stimuli

stimulāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of stimulō

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