definitions

arouse

[ uh-rouz ]
/ əˈraʊz /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR arouse ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), a·roused, a·rous·ing.

to stir to action or strong response; excite: to arouse a crowd; to arouse suspicion.
to stimulate sexually.
to awaken; wake up: The footsteps aroused the dog.

verb (used without object), a·roused, a·rous·ing.

to awake or become aroused: At dawn the farmers began to arouse.

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RELATED WORDS

awaken, rouse, stir, incite, instigate, inflame, kindle, spark, provoke, spur, stimulate, foment, thrill, enliven, warm, move, goad, agitate, alert, electrify

Nearby words

around, around the bend, around the corner, around the world in eighty days, around-the-clock, arouse, arp, arpa, arpanet, arpeggiate, arpeggiation

Origin of arouse

1585–95; a-3 + rouse1, modeled on arise

Related forms

Can be confused

arose arouse
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for arouse

British Dictionary definitions for arouse

arouse

/ (əˈraʊz) /

verb

(tr) to evoke or elicit (a reaction, emotion, or response); stimulate
to awaken from sleep

Derived Forms

arousal, nounarouser, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012