Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of stimulus

5 similar words

Another word for stimulus is impetus. Other synonyms of stimulus are trigger and influence.

Synonyms and similar words for stimulus

nounAn external phenomenon that has an influence on a system, by triggering or modifying an internal...

  • influence
  • impetusThe force or energy associated with a moving body; a stimulus.
  • impulse
  • spur
  • triggerAn event, experience or other stimulus that initiates a traumatic memory or a strong reaction in a person.

Meaning of stimulus

  1. noun An external phenomenon that has an influence on a system, by triggering or modifying an internal phenomenon; for example, a spur or incentive that drives a person to take action or change behaviour.
  2. noun Something external that elicits or influences a physiological or psychological activity or response, or that affects any of the sensory apparatuses.
  3. noun A stinging part on the body of a plant or insect.

Full definition of stimulus

stimulus in other languages

Questions about synonyms of stimulus

What is another word for stimulus?
Stimulus has 5 synonyms on Word.ws, such as impetus, trigger and influence.
What does stimulus mean?
Stimulus means an external phenomenon that has an influence on a system, by triggering or modifying an internal phenomenon; for example, a spur or incentive that drives a person to take action or change behaviour.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: stimulus (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 stimulus.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/stimulus. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.