From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Stimulate \Stim"u*late\, verb (used with an object) [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.
To excite and stimulate us thereunto. --Dr. J. Scott.
2. (Physiol.) To excite; to irritate; especially, to excite the activity of (a nerve or an irritable muscle), as by electricity.
Syn: To animate; incite; encourage; impel; urge; instigate; irritate; exasperate; incense.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
adjective
1: rousing or quickening activity or the senses; "a stimulating discussion" [ant: {unstimulating}]
2: that stimulates; "stimulant phenomena" [syn: {stimulant}]
3: making lively and cheerful; "the exhilarating effect of mountain air" [syn: {exhilarating}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
122 Moby Thesaurus words for "stimulating": activating, agitating, alluring, analeptic, animating, animative, aphrodisiac, aphroditous, ardent, arousing, bracing, breathtaking, brisk, burning, challenging, charged, cheering, chill, chilly, cliff-hanging, cool, coolish, cordial, corroborant, crisp, crispy, disquieting, distracting, disturbing, electric, emphatic, encouraging, energizing, enlivening, enthusiastic, eroticizing, exciting, exhilarating, exhilarative, fervent, fiery, fresh, galvanic, galvanizing, glowing, heady, heart-expanding, heart-stirring, heart-swelling, heart-thrilling, impassioned, impressive, inflammatory, inspirational, inspiring, interesting, intoxicating, invigorating, invigorative, inviting, jarring, jolting, juicy, lively, maddening, mind-blowing, moving, overcoming, overmastering, overpowering, overwhelming, passionate, perturbing, piquant, prompting, provocative, provoking, quickening, racy, ravishing, readable, refreshful, refreshing, regaling, restorative, reviving, rich, roborant, rousing, soul-stirring, spicy, spirit-stirring, stimulant, stimulative, stirring, strengthening, striking, succulent, suspenseful, suspensive, tantalizing, telling, temperate, thought-challenging, thought-inspiring, thought-provoking, thrilling, thrilly, tickling, titillating, tonic, troubling, unsettling, upsetting, urgent, vehement, venereal, viable, vitalizing, warm, zestful, zesty
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