incite

[ in-sahyt ]

See synonyms for incite on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),in·cit·ed, in·cit·ing.

to stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action: to incite a crowd to riot.

Origin of incite

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin incitāre, from in- in-² + citāre “to move repeatedly, set in motion, summon” (see cite¹)

synonym study For incite

Incite, rouse, provoke, inflame are verbs meaning to goad or inspire an individual or a group to take some action or to express some feeling. Incite and rouse are similar in that, although they can imply in some contexts abrasive or inflammatory arousal of violent or uncontrolled behavior, neither necessarily does so. Incite means simply to induce activity, of whatever kind: incited to greater effort by encouragement; incited to riot. Rouse has an underlying sense of awakening: to rouse the apathetic soldiers to a determination to win; to rouse the inattentive public to an awareness of the danger. Provoke implies a sense of challenge or irritation along with arousal and often suggests a resultant anger or violence: provoked by scathing references to his accomplishments; to provoke a wave of resentment. Inflame, with its root sense to set afire, implies a resultant intensity and passion: to inflame a mob by fiery speeches; He was inflamed to rage by constant frustration.

Other words for incite

instigate, provoke, goad, spur, arouse, exhort; fire; induce

See synonyms for incite on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for incite

discourage

See antonyms for incite on Thesaurus.com

Other words from incite

in·cit·a·ble, adjective
in·cit·ant, adjective, noun
in·ci·ta·tion [in-sahy-tey-shuhn, -si-], /ˌɪn saɪˈteɪ ʃən, -sɪ-/, noun
in·cit·er, noun
in·cit·ing·ly, adverb
re·in·cite, verb (used with object), re·in·cit·ed, re·in·cit·ing.
un·in·cit·ed, adjective

Words that may be confused with incite

incite , insight

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use incite in a sentence

And the Jamaica Observer routinely runs hideous cartoons about gay people and incites violence against them.
How Maurice Tomlinson Was Outed in Jamaica—and Forced Into Exile | Jay Michaelson | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
If these essays, like all essays, are a form of trying, Daum incites her readers to try, too.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life | David Yaffe | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And is that part of the intention—that your work constantly incites these debates of “Is this art?”
James Franco Uncensored: The Actor on Broadway, NYT Hate, and That Half-Naked Instagram | Marlow Stern | May 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Cohen is doubtless sincere in his conviction that he stands against a propaganda war that incites dangerous hostility to Russia.
Meet Stephen F. Cohen, Vladimir Putin's Best Friend in the American Media | Cathy Young | March 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Certain objects produce in us the feeling of pain; therefore our nature compels us to hate them, and incites us to remove them.
Superstition In All Ages (1732) | Jean Meslier

His was the healthy form of disappointment, which, if an outlet in one quarter be closed, incites to the discovery of another.
Sir Walter Ralegh | William Stebbing
In others, nature is like a strong, free element which incites man to lead an independent life.
Contemporary Russian Novelists | Serge Persky
Fitter is death and doom and destruction for the man that so incites the king!
The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tin B Calnge | Unknown
Just as drink causes some people to become savage, it incites others to mischief.
The Criminal & the Community | James Devon

British Dictionary definitions for incite

incite

/ (ɪnˈsaɪt) /

verb

(tr) to stir up or provoke to action

Origin of incite

C15: from Latin incitāre, from in- ² + citāre to excite

Derived forms of incite

incitation, noun
incitement, noun
inciter, noun
incitingly, adverb

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

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