Meaning & use

excite

verb·Everyday

To cause someone to feel eager, enthusiastic, or emotionally stirred up.

See it in a sentence

The trailer excited fans so much that tickets sold out within minutes of release.

Nothing excites her more than the chance to travel somewhere she has never been.

A note on using this word

Excite can also mean to trigger a reaction in science, as in 'excite an electron'; context makes the sense clear.

Words with a similar meaning

thrillstimulateenergize

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

borecalm

Another way to use it

2. verb

To stimulate a physical system, such as an atom or nerve, into a higher energy state.

A photon can excite an electron, moving it to a higher orbital around the nucleus.

Make it your own

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