titillating
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- titillatingly adverb
- untitillating adjective
Etymology
Origin of titillating
First recorded in 1670–80; titillat(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
When something is titillating, it makes you feel thrilled or excited. For your book report, your English teacher will probably make you read a serious novel rather than a titillating romance. The adjective titillating implies a certain cheap or fleeting kind of excitement. Titillating things are unimportant and entertaining—maybe even a little bit lewd. The word comes from the Latin word titillationem, "a tickling," and its root titillare, " to tickle," which imitates the sound of giggling.
Vocabulary lists containing titillating
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.
Gay kisses and scenes of queer physical affection aren’t exactly titillating, or worse, made into inspiring coming-out vignettes perfectly primed for Pride season watchlists.
From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026
After that, his unclaimed body began its wanderings: as a greeter for an Oklahoma funeral home, as a sideshow attraction for touring carnivals, and even in a titillating 1933 pre-Code film, “Narcotic.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2025
I acknowledge that chaos is titillating, and change can be exciting, and I understand the lure of joining an elite conference and what that can mean as far as prestige and visibility.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023
I find the flavor combination absolutely titillating — sauteed sweet bell peppers and onion, awakened with plenty of vinegar and hot pepper, perfumed with fresh thyme and grounded by a dash of allspice.
From Washington Post • Jul. 7, 2022
For audiences reared on the regular, predictable patterns of Haydn and Mozart, the Eroica’s many noisy surprises would have been both titillating and bewildering.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
