stimulateverb
uk/ˈstɪm.jə.leɪt/us/ˈstɪm.jə.leɪt/B2 [ T ] to encourage something to grow, develop, or become active:
The government plans to cut taxes in order to stimulate the economy.
B2 [ I or T ] to make someone excited and interested about something:
The show was intended to stimulate and amuse.
[ + obj + to infinitive ] Good teachers should ask questions that stimulate students to think.
Erotic images are often more sexually stimulating to men than to women.
[ T ] specialized biology to cause part of the body to operate:
The drugs stimulate the damaged tissue into repairing itself.
Standing on your head is supposed to stimulate hair growth.
More examples
- The athletes had taken pills to stimulate their metabolic rate.
- This legislation is designed to stimulate the faltering economy.
- The government is taking steps to stimulate business development in economically distressed areas .
- It's an artificial device which stimulates the auditory areas of the brain.
- It's not the sort of movie that stimulates the old grey matter much.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Causing things to happen
- -ization
- -ize
- actuation
- agent
- awaken (sth) in sb
- be associated with sth
- beget
- draw
- fuel
- instigate
- instigator
- introduce
- lie
- plant
- produce
- rise
- usher
- usher sth in
- wreak
- wrought
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Inspiration and inspiring
Making people excited and interested
Animal & plant biology - general words