aroused; arousing
1
: to awaken from sleep
was aroused from a deep sleep by a loud noise
2
: to stimulate to action or to bodily readiness for activity : excite
a book that has aroused debate
3
: to excite (someone) sexually : to cause sexual arousal in (someone)
… girls whose perfume scent frightened him and aroused him.—
Elizabeth Berg
Elizabeth Berg
: to awake from sleep : stir
Examples of arouse in a Sentence
The report aroused a great deal of public interest.
The husky sound of her voice could always arouse him.
Their proposal is certain to arouse the opposition.
Recent Examples on the Web
Court records also cite graphic messages in which Zinn admitted to being aroused by the material.
—Jesus Mesa
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead, her screams and attempts to pull away only aroused the animal, increasing its strength.
—Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
Rogen remembers the moment Apatow came up with one of the scenes that drew the biggest laughs in the film, in which Steve Carell’s character awkwardly tries to relieve himself while aroused.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
In its way, this was a high occasion of state, an opportunity for the government to make a display of its brisk, sober ability to act, and to quell the unrest that this horrific and very public murder had aroused.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
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Jesus Mesa
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead, her screams and attempts to pull away only aroused the animal, increasing its strength.
—Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
Rogen remembers the moment Apatow came up with one of the scenes that drew the biggest laughs in the film, in which Steve Carell’s character awkwardly tries to relieve himself while aroused.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
In its way, this was a high occasion of state, an opportunity for the government to make a display of its brisk, sober ability to act, and to quell the unrest that this horrific and very public murder had aroused.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arouse. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
arouse
transitive verb
aroused; arousing
1
a
: to awake from sleep
b
: to rouse or stimulate to action
c
: to excite (someone) sexually : to cause sexual arousal in (someone)
2
: to give rise to
a response aroused by a stimulus
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