Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To rouse to activity or heightened action, as by spurring or goading; excite. See Synonyms at provoke.
- v. To increase temporarily the activity of (a body organ or part).
- v. To excite or invigorate (a person, for example) with a stimulant.
- v. To act or serve as a stimulant or stimulus.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To prick; goad; excite, rouse, or animate to action or more vigorous exertion by some effective motive or by persuasion; spur on; incite.
- In physiology, to quicken temporarily some functional or trophic process in.
- Specifically, to affect by the use of intoxicating drinks.
- Synonyms To encourage, impel, urge, instigate, provoke, whet, foment, kindle, stir up.
- To act as a stimulus.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To excite as if with a goad; to excite, rouse, or animate, to action or more vigorous exertion by some pungent motive or by persuasion.
- v. To excite; to irritate; especially, to excite the activity of (a nerve or an irritable muscle), as by electricity.
WordNet 3.0
- v. cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner
- v. cause to occur rapidly
- v. stir feelings in
- v. act as a stimulant
- v. cause to be alert and energetic
- v. provide the needed stimulus for
- v. stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of
Etymologies
- Latin stimulāre, stimulāt-, to goad on, from stimulus, goad.
Examples
“But all this print-money scheme will ever stimulate is inflation … in the months leading right-up to midterms.”
The 2010 RedState predictions thread. - Moe_Lane’s blog - RedState
“What mothers should know about the patent medicine evil -- Tonics -- Used by temperance people because it could "stimulate" -- Stomach Bitters -- Blood”
“The 1.2 trillion ‘stimulus’ that didn’t stimulate is a prime example.”
“While our methods of treating acute diseases have a sedative effect, our treatment of chronic diseases is calculated to stimulate, that is, to arouse the sluggish organism to greater activity in order to produce the acute inflammatory reactions or healing crises.”
“President Obama is having to spend to get this ecomony going again, to create jobs, aka stimulate the economy.”
“But the reality is, isn't it intended to kind of stimulate interest in the elections?”
“It stands to reason; if tax cuts fail to "stimulate" the economy, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!”
First on the Ticker: RNC blasts Obama's stimulus in new video
“If they really wanted to "stimulate" the economy, that $787,000,000,000 of our money would've been doled back out to the people who earned it.”
“Come on, who really thought this was going to "stimulate" the economy?”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘stimulate’.
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Words of seduction
nibble, caress, writhing, whisper, penetrate, lick, flushed, passionate, embrace, nudity, intimacy, tempt and 17 more...

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