stimulate

UK: /ˈstɪmjʊleɪt/ US: /ˈstɪmjəˌleɪt/ ,(stim′yə lāt′)

Inflections of 'stimulate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

stimulates

v 3rd person singular

stimulating

v pres p

stimulated

v past

stimulated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

stim•u•late /ˈstɪmyəˌleɪt/   v. [~ + object (+ to + verb)] , -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to encourage to start, begin, or to do some action:
   Talking to her stimulates my mind.
2. Medicine, Physiology, Psychology, Physiology to excite (a nerve, etc.) to its functional activity:
   This drug stimulates the brain to produce its own hormone.

stim•u•la•tion /ˌstɪmyəˈleɪʃən/  n. 

[uncountable] She provides the department with great intellectual stimulation.

[countable] stimulations of nerve cells.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

stim•u•late  (stim′yə lāt′), v., -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 
v.t. 

1. to rouse to action or effort, as by encouragement or pressure; spur on;
   incite:
   to stimulate his interest in mathematics.
2. Medicine, Physiology, Psychology, Physiology [Physiol., Med.] to excite (a nerve, gland, etc.) to its functional activity.
3. to invigorate (a person) by a food or beverage containing a stimulant, as coffee, tea, or alcoholic liquor.

v.i. 

4. to act as a stimulus or stimulant.

• Latin stimulātus (past participle of stimulāre to goad). See stimulus, -ate¹
• 1540–50

stim′u•la•ble, adj. 
stim•u•la•bil•i•ty  (stim′yə lə bil′i tē), n.  stim′u•lat′ing•ly, adv. 
stim′u•la′tion, n. 
stim′u•la′tor, stim′u•lat′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. arouse, activate, excite. See animate. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

stimulate / ˈstɪmjʊˌleɪt/ verb

1. (transitive) to excite (a nerve, organ, etc) with a stimulus

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin stimulāre; see stimulant

ˌstimuˈlation noun

ˈstimulative, ˈstimulatory adjective , noun

ˈstimuˌlator, ˈstimuˌlater noun