Synonyms

stimulating

American

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

adjective

causing interest, inspiration, or incitement to action.

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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The home was close to people he liked and projects he found stimulating.

From The Wall Street Journal

In studies involving mice, this approach successfully treated glioblastoma by stimulating the brain's immune system.

From Science Daily

Coronation supporters argue that the celebrations will be a boost for brand Britain, attracting tourists and stimulating sales.

From Washington Times

One of the stimulating things about viewing contemporary art — and of course, it’s one of the abiding attractions of criticism as a vocation — is sorting out our responses to new work.

From Washington Post

This involves shooting an electron beam at a nucleus, which transfers energy to the quarks within the protons and neutrons inside, stimulating lambda production.

From Scientific American

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023