Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of excite

79 similar words · 2 opposite words

Another word for excite is encourage. Other synonyms of excite are push, thrill, stimulate, urge and motivate. The opposite of excite is calm.

Synonyms and similar words for excite

verbTo stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.

  • affect
  • moveTo arouse the feelings or passions of; especially, to excite to tenderness or compassion, to excite (for example, an...
  • touchTo sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate.

verbTo arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate.

  • instigate
  • fireTo inflame; to irritate, as the passions.
  • provokeTo bring about a reaction.
  • actuateTo incite to action; to motivate.
  • goose
  • fuel
  • light a fire underTo motivate or encourage (someone) to start sooner or move faster.
  • sendTo get one going; move to excitement or rapture; to delight or thrill.
  • sting
  • bring aboutTo cause to take place.
  • drawTo attract or provoke (a particular reaction or response) from someone.
  • driveTo motivate; to provide an incentive for.
  • encourageTo mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
  • egg onTo encourage or coax (a person) to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.
  • engenderTo bring into existence (a situation, quality, result etc.); to give rise to, cause, create.
  • evokeTo cause the manifestation of something (emotion, picture, etc.) in someone's mind or imagination.
  • fomentTo incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.
  • goadTo incite or provoke.
  • ignite figurativelyTo spark off (something), to trigger.
  • impelTo urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation.
  • incite
  • induceTo cause, bring about, lead to.
  • inflame figurativelyTo excite or intensify (a feeling, such as an appetite or passion), especially to an excessive or unnatural level.
  • invokeTo bring about as an inevitable consequence.
  • lash
  • motiveTo prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
  • motivateTo provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.
  • obligate
  • oblige
  • pushTo continually attempt to persuade (a person) into a particular course of action.
  • promoteTo encourage, urge or incite.
  • promptTo initiate; to cause or lead to.
  • rouseTo provoke (someone) to react (for example, in anger or annoyance); to spur; also, to annoy, to tease.
  • set offTo begin; to cause; to initiate.
  • spark offTo initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.
  • spurTo urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object.
  • spur onTo spur or urge (someone) to do something.
  • stimulateTo encourage into action.
  • stirTo incite to action.
  • stir upTo arouse or excite (passion or action, etc.).
  • stoke figuratively
  • temptTo provoke something; to court.
  • urgeTo put mental pressure on; to ply with motives, arguments, persuasion, or importunity.
  • whip upTo arouse or excite.
  • animateTo give spirit or vigour to; to stimulate or enliven; to inspirit.
  • awakenTo bring into action (something previously dormant); to stimulate.
  • electrify figurativelyTo strongly excite, especially by something delightful or inspiring; to thrill.
  • enflame figuratively
  • enkindle figurativelyTo kindle; to arouse or evoke.
  • enthrillTo cause to thrill.
  • exhilarateTo cheer, to cheer up, to gladden, to make happy, to elate.
  • fillipTo drive as if by a fillip (noun sense 1); to excite, stimulate, whet.
  • fire the blood
  • galvanize figurativelyTo shock or stimulate into sudden activity, as if by electric shock.
  • gin upTo stir up, stimulate, enliven, incite.
  • intoxicate figurativelyTo excite to enthusiasm or madness.
  • kindle figurativelyTo arouse or inspire (a passion, etc).
  • quickenTo put (someone or something) in a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to excite, to rouse.
  • set fire to figuratively
  • set on fire figurativelyTo arouse passionate feelings in.
  • sharpen figuratively
  • stir the blood
  • thrillTo suddenly excite someone, or to give someone great pleasure; to (figuratively) electrify; to experience such a...
  • vitaliseTo make more vigorous; to invigorate or stimulate.
  • wakeTo put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite.
  • warm the blood
  • whet figurativelyTo make more keen or to stimulate (someone's appetite, interest, etc.); to hone, to sharpen.
  • wind upTo excite.
  • work upTo raise; to excite; to stir up.
  • abet obsoleteTo urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
  • cheer obsoleteTo infuse life, courage, animation, or hope, into; to inspirit; to solace or comfort.
  • grill Scotland, USTo make angry; provoke; offend, incite.
  • exagitate obsoleteTo excite, stir up.
  • exsuscitate obsoleteTo rouse; to excite.
  • suscitate obsoleteTo rouse; to excite; to call into life and action.
  • yerk Scotland, obsoleteTo rouse or excite.

Opposite of excite

verbTo stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.

Meaning of excite

  1. verb To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.
  2. verb To arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate.
  3. verb To cause an electron to move to a higher than normal state; to promote an electron to an outer level.

Full definition of excite

excite in other languages

Questions about synonyms of excite

What is another word for excite?
Excite has 79 synonyms on Word.ws, such as encourage, push, thrill, stimulate, urge, motivate, promote and move.
What is the opposite of excite?
The opposite of excite is calm.
What does excite mean?
Excite means to stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: excite (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of excite.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/excite. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.