arouse

[uh-rouz]

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.

Origin of arouse

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

Related formsa·rous·a·bil·i·ty, nouna·rous·a·ble, adjectivea·rous·al

[uh-rou-zuhl] /əˈraʊ zəl/, nouna·rous·er, nounnon·a·rous·al, nouno·ver·a·rous·al, nounre·a·rous·al, nounre·a·rouse, verb, re·a·roused, re·a·rous·ing.sem·i·a·rous·al, nounsub·a·rous·al, nounun·a·rous·a·ble, adjectiveun·a·roused, adjectiveun·a·rous·ing, adjectivewell-a·roused, adjective

Can be confusedarose arouse

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. animate; inspirit, inspire; incite, provoke, instigate; stimulate, kindle, fire.

Antonyms

1. calm.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for aroused

Contemporary Examples

Am I going to be turned on by a man I know is aroused by other men and has sex with other men?
Risky Business or None of Your Business? Gay XXX Films and the Condom Question
Aurora Snow
November 1, 2014
“How it reached this animated video nobody knows, and this has aroused a debate on the social networks,” Badawy said.
Mr. Simpson Goes to Washington: How Homer Influenced Politics
Asawin Suebsaeng
August 27, 2014
Thomas refused to answer for a while, but now my curiosity was aroused about the repulsive young man below and I pressed him.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show
Robert W. Chambers
February 20, 2014
Black people of Birmingham, Alabama aroused the conscience of this nation and brought into being the Civil Rights Bill.
The Black and White Men Who Saved Martin Luther King’s Life
Michael Daly
January 20, 2014
In 2011, however, another study found more evidence to support the idea that men can in fact be aroused by men and women alike.
Berkeley Officially Recognizes Bisexual Pride Day
Matthew DeLuca
September 19, 2012

Historical Examples

But various interests were antagonized, and opposition was aroused.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
The declaration, simple as it was, aroused the official to new indignation.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
He had been aroused by the Inspector's shouting, and was evidently greatly perturbed.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
But evidently she aroused herself, as if just awaking from sleep.
The Dream
Emile Zola
It at once aroused all that was stern in his nature—to have such a coward offer him an insult.
Ridgeway
Scian Dubh

British Dictionary definitions for aroused

arouse

verb

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

Derived Formsarousal, 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

Word Origin and History for aroused

arouse

v.

1590s, "awaken" (transitive), from a- (1) "on" + rouse. Related: Aroused; arousing.

arouse

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}arouse

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for aroused

Contemporary Examples

Am I going to be turned on by a man I know is aroused by other men and has sex with other men?

“How it reached this animated video nobody knows, and this has aroused a debate on the social networks,” Badawy said.

Thomas refused to answer for a while, but now my curiosity was aroused about the repulsive young man below and I pressed him.

Black people of Birmingham, Alabama aroused the conscience of this nation and brought into being the Civil Rights Bill.

In 2011, however, another study found more evidence to support the idea that men can in fact be aroused by men and women alike.

Historical Examples

But various interests were antagonized, and opposition was aroused.

The declaration, simple as it was, aroused the official to new indignation.

He had been aroused by the Inspector's shouting, and was evidently greatly perturbed.

But evidently she aroused herself, as if just awaking from sleep.

It at once aroused all that was stern in his nature—to have such a coward offer him an insult.

arouse

Word Origin and History for aroused

arouse

v.

Origin of arouse