stimulate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to rouse to action or effort, as by encouragement or pressure; spur on; incite.
A childhood summer learning program was the first thing to stimulate his interest in mathematics.
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Physiology, Medicine/Medical. to excite (a nerve, gland, etc.) to its functional activity.
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to invigorate (a person) by a food or beverage containing a stimulant such as coffee or tea.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr; usually passive) to fill (a person) with ideas or enthusiasm
he was stimulated by the challenge
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(tr) physiol to excite (a nerve, organ, etc) with a stimulus
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to encourage (something) to start or progress further
a cut in interest rates should help stimulate economic recovery
Related Words
See animate.
Other Word Forms
- interstimulate verb (used with object)
- nonstimulable adjective
- overstimulate verb
- prestimulate verb (used with object)
- restimulate verb (used with object)
- self-stimulated adjective
- stimulability noun
- stimulable adjective
- stimulater noun
- stimulation noun
- stimulative adjective
- stimulator noun
- superstimulate verb (used with object)
- unstimulable adjective
- unstimulated adjective
Etymology
Origin of stimulate
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin stimulāt(us) “goaded” (past participle of stimulāre “to goad, incite,” from stimulus stimulus ( def. ) ); -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They then used the technique to stimulate mouse neurons and captured the moment when synaptic vesicles fused with the cell membrane and released their chemical messengers.
From Science Daily
The home was close to people he liked and projects he found stimulating.
In experiments, this apigenin stimulated soil bacteria to form protective biofilms, enabling nitrogenase to fix nitrogen in a usable form that the wheat could absorb.
From Science Daily
In studies involving mice, this approach successfully treated glioblastoma by stimulating the brain's immune system.
From Science Daily
"The solution can dilute the blocked nose, stimulate turnover of mucus and relieve inflammation."
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
