titillation

American  

[tit-l-ey-shuhn] / ˌtɪt lˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of pleasantly exciting or arousing the senses, emotions, or imagination, often in a sexually suggestive way.

   We strongly condemn journalists who rely on sensationalism and titillation to sell newspapers.

   Elevating the soul through masterful titillation of the senses is what real cooking is all about.

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Etymology

Origin of titillation

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin titillātiōn-, stem of titillātiō, equivalent to tītillāt(us) + -iō -ion ( def. ); see titillate ( def. )

Example Sentences

These patchwork visions have a restrained, contemplative air that carefully weighs the seriousness of their themes without ever dipping into melodrama or titillation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

The great Argento films were never just about titillation and blood-spatter.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2022

But unlike that movie, which wobbled uncomfortably between titillation and moral panic, Bravo’s version of King’s story is sure-footed, her vision clear-eyed and genuinely risk-taking.

From Washington Post • Jun. 30, 2021

Calaway is determined, too, to avoid cashing in as a gimmick, wheeled out as a past-his-prime spectacle for the titillation of crowds.

From The Guardian • Nov. 23, 2020

His main quarrel with it arose, however, from the obstinacy with which English poets clung to “the childish titillation of rhyming.”

From The Art of Letters by Lynd, Robert