stimulate
verbUK /ˈstɪm.jʊ.leɪt/ · US /ˈstɪm.jəˌleɪt/
Etymology 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”).
1
To encourage into action.
- stimulate the economy
- To most others Lord Allerton's obvious preference for Mary would have been an insuperable obstacle; it only served to stimulate her ladyship.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:
2
To arouse an organism to functional activity.
- stimulate my mind
- He was sexually stimulated by the dancer's moves.
- Derived terms
31 terms
autostimulate, biostimulate, colony-stimulating factor, costimulate, counterstimulate, destimulate, electrostimulate, follicle-stimulating hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, gravistimulate, hyperstimulate, immunostimulate, instimulate, interstimulate, melanocyte-stimulating hormone, microstimulate, neurostimulate, overstimulate, photostimulate, prestimulate, restimulate, self-stimulate, stimulable, stimulancy, stimulatable, stimulatee, stimulater, superstimulate, thyroid-stimulating hormone, understimulate- Related terms
- stimulant, stimulation, stimulator, stimulatory, stimulus