excite

[ ik-sahyt ]

verb (used with object)

, ex·cit·ed, ex·cit·ing.

1. to arouse or stir up the emotions or feelings of:

   to excite a person to anger; actions that excited his father's wrath.

   Synonyms: inflame, kindle, animate, stimulate, awaken, stir

2. to arouse or stir up (emotions or feelings):

   to excite jealousy or hatred.

   Synonyms: evoke

3. to cause; awaken:

   to excite interest or curiosity.

4. to stir to action; provoke or stir up:

   to excite a dog by baiting him.

   Synonyms: ruffle, agitate, disturb

5. Physiology. to stimulate:

   to excite a nerve.

6. Electricity. to supply with electricity for producing electric activity or a magnetic field:

   to excite a dynamo.

7. Physics. to raise (an atom, molecule, etc.) to an excited state.

excite

/ ɪkˈsaɪt /

verb

1. to arouse (a person) to strong feeling, esp to pleasurable anticipation or nervous agitation
2. to arouse or elicit (an emotion, response, etc); evoke

   her answers excited curiosity

3. to cause or bring about; stir up

   to excite a rebellion

4. to arouse sexually
5. physiol to cause a response in or increase the activity of (an organ, tissue, or part); stimulate
6. to raise (an atom, molecule, electron, nucleus, etc) from the ground state to a higher energy level
7. to supply electricity to (the coils of a generator or motor) in order to create a magnetic field
8. to supply a signal to a stage of an active electronic circuit

Other Words From

• preex·cite verb (used with object) preexcited preexciting

Word History and Origins

Origin of excite¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin excitāre, from ex- ex- ¹ + citāre “to move repeatedly, set in motion, summon” (from ciēre “to arouse, cause to go, move”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of excite¹

C14: from Latin excitāre, from exciēre to stimulate, from ciēre to set in motion, rouse

Example Sentences

And Monaco can still generate exciting races, but it tends to need a safety car or a bit of rain to do so.

From BBC

Seated in a conference room at Disney’s Burbank studio, Jenkins is as chill as the boy in the picture — excited but also relaxed, taking this moment in stride.

From Los Angeles Times

“It was the most exciting experience I’d ever had because I knew that I wanted to be on that stage in the spotlight one day.”

From Los Angeles Times

Nearing their destination, the excited couple were unable to find the dome and Samantha pulled up to a pub to ask for directions to what she assumed would be a local landmark.

From BBC

The former boyband members share some of their most exciting adolescent moments becoming some of the defining faces of pop music.

From Salon

Related Words

• agitate
• amaze
• anger
• animate
• annoy
• astound
• bother
• delight
• disturb
• energize
• irritate
• offend
• thrill
• turn on
• vex
• work up
• worry