verb
Uncommon
excite
ihk-SYT
Excite (verb) means to stir up strong feelings in someone, especially enthusiasm or eagerness. Example: “The trailer excited fans months before the film came out.”
verb
1
To stir up strong feelings in someone, especially enthusiasm or eagerness.
"The trailer excited fans months before the film came out."
"Good news like that excites everyone in the office."
2
In physics, to push an electron up to a higher energy level, or to energize a magnet so it produces a field.
"A laser can excite electrons in the atoms it strikes."
How to use excite
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo get someone worked up (in a good way) or, in science, to bump something up to a higher energy state.
Common pairings
excite interest
excite an electron
excite the crowd
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- excites
- Past tense
- excited
- Archaic forms
- excitest, excitedst, exciteth
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The trailer _____ fans months before the film came out.
Etymology
From Old French exciter, from Latin excitare, "to call forth or rouse" — from ex ("out") plus ciere ("to set in motion").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for excite
See all rhymes for excite →Frequently asked questions
What does “excite” mean?
The word “excite” means to stir up strong feelings in someone, especially enthusiasm or eagerness. In plain terms, to get someone worked up (in a good way) or, in science, to bump something up to a higher energy state.
How do you pronounce “excite”?
“Excite” is pronounced ihk-SYT (/ɪkˈsaɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “excite” in a sentence?
Here is “excite” used in a sentence: “The trailer excited fans months before the film came out.”
What part of speech is “excite”?
“Excite” is a verb.
Where does the word “excite” come from?
The word “excite” comes from Latin. From Old French exciter, from Latin excitare, "to call forth or rouse" — from ex ("out") plus ciere ("to set in motion").
Is “excite” a common word?
“Excite” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “excite” have?
“Excite” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to stir up strong feelings in someone, especially enthusiasm or eagerness.
