stimulating

American  

[stim-yuh-ley-ting] / ˈstɪm yəˌleɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing interest, inspiration, or incitement to action.

   We offer a stimulating work environment with lots of opportunity for growth.

2. inciting; acting as a cause.

   Rapid technological change is described by some authors as a stimulating factor in the decline of traditional ways of growing food.

3. having the property of exciting a nerve, gland, etc., to its functional activity.

   This plant tincture has a stimulating effect on the liver, spleen, and digestive system.

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Other Word Forms

• nonstimulating adjective
• self-stimulating adjective
• semistimulating adjective
• stimulatingly adverb
• unstimulating adjective
• unstimulatingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of stimulating

First recorded in 1640–50; stimulate ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

These findings may represent an early step toward new treatments aimed at calming the mind rather than stimulating it.

From Science Daily

And that absence has helped cement a prevailing narrative: China isn’t stimulating, and without a big push, its economy will continue to drift.

From Barron's

They asked whether the body could be prompted to create a temporary "factory" that produces the same T cell stimulating signals typically made by the thymus.

From Science Daily

Further rate cuts are possible, but the central bank said it won’t move quickly to reach a neutral level, where borrowing costs are neither stimulating nor holding back the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal

In “War and Power” Mr. O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews and the author of “The Strategists,” develops a stimulating argument about “who wins wars—and why.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• appealing
• challenging
• exhilarating
• hectic
• inspiring
• interesting
• invigorating
• lively
• provocative
• thought-provoking
• thrilling