stimulating
adjective
stim·u·lat·ing
ˈstim-yə-ˌlā-tiŋ 
: producing stimulation: such as
a
: enjoyably exciting or interesting
a very stimulating experience/environment
a stimulating discussion
"There is nothing more stimulating than a case where everything goes against you."—
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
b
: acting as a stimulant : producing increased energy or alertness
When nicotine reaches the brain it mimics the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which has a stimulating effect.—Laura Mansnerus
Laura MansnerusThey gave strong narcotic or stimulating drugs indiscriminately …—John Laffin
John LaffinExamples of stimulating in a Sentence
enjoys the good food and stimulating conversation at his best friend's house
a brisk, stimulating walk on a bright, clear wintry day
an article containing a stimulating argument for raising, not lowering, the tax on gasoline
Recent Examples on the Web
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Read on for what this stimulating conjunction means for your zodiac sign.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Lee’s aesthetic of production, and of the power that’s an essential and inescapable part of art, is fundamentally conservative—and no less stimulating for being so.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
For example, low-quality digital use, including mindless scrolling, autoplay videos, frequent notifications and algorithms that push extreme or harmful material, can be highly stimulating but may lead to poor sleep, attention difficulties, academic challenges, and emotional regulation problems.
—Dr. Tyler Beauchamp, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stimulating
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Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Read on for what this stimulating conjunction means for your zodiac sign.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Lee’s aesthetic of production, and of the power that’s an essential and inescapable part of art, is fundamentally conservative—and no less stimulating for being so.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
For example, low-quality digital use, including mindless scrolling, autoplay videos, frequent notifications and algorithms that push extreme or harmful material, can be highly stimulating but may lead to poor sleep, attention difficulties, academic challenges, and emotional regulation problems.
—Dr. Tyler Beauchamp, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stimulating
Cite this Entry
“Stimulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stimulating. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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