arousal
Americannoun
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the act or an instance of waking up.
Arousals occur naturally during sleep and increase with age.
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the act of stimulating someone sexually, or the state of being sexually stimulated.
Some yoga practices improve levels of arousal in sexually unsatisfied women.
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the act of stirring up or the state of being stirred up; excitement: Relieving teens from stress in conversations can be a very effective way to prevent the arousal of anger.
Be aware of your level of emotional arousal when making decisions.
Relieving teens from stress in conversations can be a very effective way to prevent the arousal of anger.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of arousal
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.
Norepinephrine is often elevated in anxiety disorders, and the UC Davis researchers suggest that this heightened arousal may increase the brain's demand for choline.
From Science Daily • May 16, 2026
"Growth hormone not only helps you build your muscle and bones and reduce your fat tissue, but may also have cognitive benefits, promoting your overall arousal level when you wake up," Ding said.
From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026
As a therapist, I know that for children with autism, water offers resistance, pressure and pleasant sensory arousal.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025
Emotional responses and physiological arousal, measured through skin conductance, were not significant predictors of feedback-seeking behavior, suggesting that these factors may not play as large of a role in shaping decisions to seek performance feedback.
From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024
He clearly played basketball in that same optimal range of arousal in which Ron Avery performed.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
