stimulant
Americannoun
-
Physiology, Medicine/Medical. something that temporarily quickens some vital process or the functional activity of some organ or part.
Adrenalin is a stimulant for the heart.
-
any food or beverage that stimulates, especially coffee, tea, or, in its initial effect, alcoholic liquor.
-
a stimulus or incentive.
adjective
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Physiology, Medicine/Medical. temporarily quickening some vital process or functional activity.
noun
-
a drug or similar substance that increases physiological activity, esp of a particular organ
-
any stimulating agent or thing
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of stimulant
First recorded in 1720–30, stimulant is from the Latin word stimulant- (stem of stimulāns, present participle of stimulāre to goad). See stimulus, -ant
Explanation
A stimulant is a drug that speeds up your body or an event that spurs you to action. Both types of stimulant get you going. You might drink coffee in the morning for a reason: the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant, which gives you energy and helps you wake up. Other stimulants are much more harmful, such as illegal drugs like cocaine, but all stimulants speed up your system. Also, a stimulant can be anything that arouses action. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, it was a stimulant that drove America into World War II.
Vocabulary lists containing stimulant
Across Five Aprils
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Lesson 4
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Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 6
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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.
“It is a terrific stimulant of a sense of urgency.”
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
Current treatments for attention disorders typically increase excitatory signaling in prefrontal brain circuits using stimulant medications.
From Science Daily • Jan. 2, 2026
Treatment typically involved a prescription for a stimulant, such as Ritalin, but parents weren’t thrilled.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
Caffeine is a stimulant that can make you feel more alert and less sleepy due to its effect on the brain and nervous system.
From BBC • Jul. 31, 2025
Arthur’s presence, however, seemed to act as a stimulant; she rallied a little, and spoke to him more brightly than she had done since we arrived.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
