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stimulate

If the economy is starting to stall, the president can't just sit there. He has to stimulate—turn it on, bring it to life, perk it up. You can stimulate practically anything: a person, a conversation, a mind, or even the growth of a plant.

Stimulate is often used to describe a physical or sexual sensation, but don't get bogged down in that kind of thinking. Often, a government will try to stimulate economic activity by creating a stimulus package. Or, say, for example, that I'm trying to sell my new song CD. In order to stimulate interest, I need to send out a sample song to all my friends. Unless, of course, my songs are no good.

DEFINITIONS OF: stimulate

v cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner

Synonyms:: cause, get, have, induce, make

Types:: show 35 types...; hide 35 types...; decide
cause to decide; persuade
cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm; bring
induce or persuade; solicit
incite, move, or persuade to some act of lawlessness or insubordination; encourage
spur on; let
actively cause something to happen; lead
cause to undertake a certain action; inspire, instigate, prompt
serve as the inciting cause of; suborn
induce to commit perjury or give false testimony; compel, obligate, oblige
force somebody to do something; force, thrust
impose urgently, importunately, or inexorably; hustle
pressure or urge someone into an action; bring around, bring round
cause to adopt an opinion or course of action; badger
persuade through constant efforts; sell
persuade somebody to accept something; chat up
talk to someone with the aim of persuading him; talk into
persuade somebody to do something; rope in
draw in as if with a rope; lure; blarney, cajole, coax, inveigle, palaver, sweet-talk, wheedle
influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering; convert, convince, win over
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something; brainwash
persuade completely, often through coercion; give
guide or direct, as by behavior of persuasion; assure
assure somebody of the truth of something with the intention of giving the listener confidence; charm, influence, tempt
induce into action by using one's charm; prevail
use persuasion successfully; drag
persuade to come away from something attractive or interesting; tempt
try presumptuously; make, score, seduce
induce to have sex; walk
make walk; coerce, force, hale, pressure, squeeze
to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in the city"; clamor
compel someone to do something by insistent clamoring; condemn
compel or force into a particular state or activity; shame
compel through a sense of shame; apply, enforce, implement
ensure observance of laws and rules; enforce, impose
compel to behave in a certain way

v cause to occur rapidly

Synonyms:: hasten, induce, rush

Type of:: effect, effectuate, set up
produce

v cause to be alert and energetic

“Coffee and tea stimulate me”

“This herbal infusion doesn't stimulate”

Synonyms:: arouse, brace, energise, energize, perk up

Antonyms:: calm, sedate, tranquilize, tranquillise, tranquillize
cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to; de-energise, de-energize
deprive of energy; show more antonyms...

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; cathect
inject with libidinal energy; animate, quicken, reanimate, recreate, renovate, repair, revive, revivify, vivify
give new life or energy to; invigorate, reinvigorate
impart vigor, strength, or vitality to; animate, enliven, invigorate, liven, liven up
make lively; ginger up, jazz up, juice up, pep up
make more interesting or lively; inspirit, spirit, spirit up
infuse with spirit

Type of:: affect
act physically on; have an effect upon

v provide the needed stimulus for

Synonyms:: provoke

Types:: show 15 types...; hide 15 types...; entice, lure, tempt
provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion; rejuvenate
cause (a stream or river) to erode, as by an uplift of the land; jog
stimulate to remember; incite, instigate, set off, stir up
provoke or stir up; agitate, foment, stir up
try to stir up public opinion; hook, snare
entice and trap; seduce
lure or entice away from duty, principles, or proper conduct; call
lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal; stool
lure with a stool, as of wild fowl; lead on
entice or induce especially when unwise or mistaken; tweedle
entice through the use of music; raise
activate or stir up; decoy
lure or entrap with or as if with a decoy; bait
lure, entice, or entrap with bait; rumpus
cause a disturbance

Type of:: challenge
issue a challenge to

v act as a stimulant

“The book stimulated her imagination”

“This play stimulates”

Synonyms:: excite

Antonyms:: dampen, stifle
smother or suppress

Types:: show 4 types...; hide 4 types...; invigorate, quicken
give life or energy to; innervate
stimulate to action; irritate
excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus; pinch, vellicate
irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear

Type of:: affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch, touch on
have an effect upon

v stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of

Synonyms:: excite, shake, shake up, stir

Types:: show 20 types...; hide 20 types...; fuel
stimulate; arouse, excite, sex, turn on, wind up
stimulate sexually; affright, fright, frighten, scare
cause fear in; thrill, tickle, vibrate
feel sudden intense sensation or emotion; invite, tempt
give rise to a desire by being attractive or inviting; elate, intoxicate, lift up, pick up, uplift
fill with high spirits; fill with optimism; animate, enliven, exalt, inspire, invigorate
heighten or intensify; titillate
excite pleasurably or erotically; bluff
frighten someone by pretending to be stronger than one really is; awe
inspire awe in; terrify, terrorise, terrorize
fill with terror; frighten greatly; intimidate
make timid or fearful; alarm, appal, appall, dismay, horrify
fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised; consternate
fill with anxiety, dread, dismay, or confusion; tempt
try to seduce; beatify
make blessedly happy; puff
make proud or conceited; beatify, exalt, exhilarate, inebriate, thrill, tickle pink
fill with sublime emotion; encourage
inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to; spook
frighten or scare, and often provoke into a violent action

Type of:: arouse, elicit, enkindle, evoke, fire, kindle, provoke, raise
call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

v stir feelings in

“stimulate my appetite”

Synonyms:: excite, stir

Types:: show 10 types...; hide 10 types...; fuck off, jack off, jerk off, masturbate, she-bop, wank
get sexual gratification through self-stimulation; masturbate
stimulate sexually; horripilate
cause (someone's) hair to stand on end and to have goosebumps; work
provoke or excite; blow, fellate, go down on, suck
provide sexual gratification through oral stimulation; thrill
cause to be thrilled by some perceptual input; quicken, whet
make keen or more acute; disgust, gross out, repel, revolt
fill with distaste; scarf
masturbate while strangling oneself; nauseate, sicken, turn one's stomach
upset and make nauseated

Type of:: sensitise, sensitize
cause to sense; make sensitive

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