arouse

American  

[uh-rouz] / əˈraʊz /

verb (used with object)

aroused, arousing

1. to stir to action or strong response; excite.

   to arouse a crowd;

   to arouse suspicion.

   Synonyms:

   fire, kindle, stimulate, instigate, provoke, incite, inspire, inspirit, animate

   Antonyms:

   calm

2. to stimulate sexually.

3. to awaken; wake up.

   The footsteps aroused the dog.

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verb (used without object)

aroused, arousing

1. to awake or become aroused.

   At dawn the farmers began to arouse.

arouse British  

/ əˈraʊz /

verb

1. (tr) to evoke or elicit (a reaction, emotion, or response); stimulate

2. to awaken from sleep

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Other Word Forms

• arousability noun
• arousable adjective
• arousal noun
• arouser noun
• rearouse verb
• unarousable adjective
• unarousing adjective

Etymology

Origin of arouse

First recorded in 1585–95; a- ³ + rouse ¹, modeled on arise

Explanation

Although the verb arouse basically means "to wake up," it is usually not accomplished with an alarm clock. A patriotic song might arouse your love of country, and a new idea might arouse your imagination. The word comes from an Old French word meaning "stir up, awaken," and anything that arouses your mind or heart can awaken something in you; for example, the prospect of an exciting experience may arouse your sense of adventure. Arouse can also be used with negative feelings. A sneaky look might arouse your suspicion, or rejection might arouse a sense of bitterness. However, usually, arouse carries with it a sense of excitement, of bringing something to life.

Example Sentences

"When you see a student who clearly struggled with the language and they submit an essay which William Shakespeare would have been proud of, then immediately that's going to arouse suspicion."

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025

Some lawyers who have worked on crypto-treasury deals say information leaks can not only arouse insider trading suspicions but also actually be harmful for pricing transactions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 25, 2025

Ethan must hide his intentions so as to not arouse suspicion, but his behavior is highly irregular, and folks who know him notice.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2024

The number suggests that the fraudster found a way to generate listens for the song, but not at numbers that would arouse suspicion.

From New York Times • Jan. 13, 2024

The stories were never verified, but they occurred often enough to arouse deep anger in the minds of people whose sons had died under Grant’s command.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt

Related Words

• awaken
• foment
• incite
• inflame
• instigate
• kindle
• provoke
• rouse
• spark
• spur
• stimulate
• stir
• whip up