Stimulate

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Stimulate \Stim"u*late\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Stimulated}; p.
     pr. & vb. n. {Stimulating}.] [L. stimulatus, p. p. of
     stimulare to prick or goad on, to incite, fr. stimulus a
     goad. See {Stimulus}.]
     1. To excite as if with a goad; to excite, rouse, or animate,
        to action or more vigorous exertion by some pungent motive


        or by persuasion; as, to stimulate one by the hope of
        reward, or by the prospect of glory.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              To excite and stimulate us thereunto. --Dr. J.
                                                    Scott.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Physiol.) To excite; to irritate; especially, to excite
        the activity of (a nerve or an irritable muscle), as by
        electricity.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: To animate; incite; encourage; impel; urge; instigate;
          irritate; exasperate; incense.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  stimulate
       v 1: act as a stimulant; "The book stimulated her imagination";
            "This play stimulates" [syn: {excite}] [ant: {stifle}]
       2: cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; "The ads
          induced me to buy a VCR"; "My children finally got me to
          buy a computer"; "My wife made me buy a new sofa" [syn: {induce},
           {cause}, {have}, {get}, {make}]
       3: stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of; "These stories
          shook the community"; "the civil war shook the country"
          [syn: {shake}, {shake up}, {excite}, {stir}]
       4: cause to be alert and energetic; "Coffee and tea stimulate
          me"; "This herbal infusion doesn't stimulate" [syn: {arouse},
           {brace}, {energize}, {energise}, {perk up}] [ant: {de-energize},
           {de-energize}, {sedate}]
       5: cause to occur rapidly; "the infection precipitated a high
          fever and allergic reactions" [syn: {induce}, {rush}, {hasten}]
       6: stir feelings in; "stimulate my appetite"; "excite the
          audience"; "stir emotions" [syn: {excite}, {stir}]
       7: provide the needed stimulus for [syn: {provoke}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  146 Moby Thesaurus words for "stimulate":
     activate, actuate, affect the interest, animate, animating, arouse,
     attract, awaken, brace, brace up, bracing, bring forth, bring out,
     bring to light, brisk, brisken, buck up, call forth, call out,
     call up, cheer, chirk up, compel, concern, cultivate, deduce,
     derive, drag out, draw forth, draw out, dynamize, educe, electrify,
     elicit, encourage, energize, enliven, enlivening, evoke, excite,
     excite interest, exhilarate, exhilarating, exhilarative, fascinate,
     fillip, fire, force, fortify, foster, fresh up, freshen,
     freshen up, fuel, galvanize, get from, get out of, goad, hearten,
     impel, incite, increase, induce, inflame, infuse life into,
     inspire, inspiring, inspirit, interest, intoxicating, invigorate,
     invite, involve in, jazz up, jolt, kindle, lively, liven,
     make sensitive, motivate, move, move to action, nourish, obtain,
     pep up, perk up, pick up, pique, procure, promote, prompt, propel,
     provocative, provoke, quicken, quickening, reanimate, recreate,
     refine, refresh, refreshen, regale, reinvigorate, renew,
     resuscitate, revive, revivify, rouse, rousing, secure, seminal,
     sensibilize, sensitize, set in motion, set up, sharpen, snap up,
     spark, spirit up, spur, stimulating, stimulative, stir, stir up,
     stirring, suggestive, summon forth, summon up, tantalize, tickle,
     titillate, tonic, vitalize, vitalizing, vivify, wake up, waken,
     wangle, wangle out of, warm, whet, whip up, winkle out, worm out,
     worm out of, zip up