| Main Entry: | excite |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | inspire; upset |
Synonyms: |
accelerate, agitate, amaze, anger, animate, annoy, arouse, astound, awaken, bother, chafe, delight, discompose, disturb, electrify, elicit, energize, evoke, feed the fire, fire, fluster, foment, galvanize, goad, incite, induce, inflame, infuriate, instigate, intensify, irritate, jar, jolt, kindle, madden, mock, move, offend, precipitate, provoke, quicken, rouse, start, stimulate, stir up, taunt, tease, thrill, titillate, touch off, vex, wake up, waken, warm, whet, work up, worry |
Antonyms: |
bore, calm, compose, deaden, lull, moderate, pacify, quiet, repress, tranquilize |
| Main Entry: | exciting |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | inspiring, exhilarating |
Synonyms: |
agitative, animating, appealing, arousing, arresting, astonishing, bracing, breathtaking, commoving, dangerous, dramatic, electrifying, exhilarant, eye-popping, far-out, fine, flashy, groovy*, hair-raising, heady, hectic, impelling, impressive, interesting, intoxicating, intriguing, lively, melodramatic, mind-blowing, moving, neat, overpowering, overwhelming, provocative, racy, rip-roaring, rousing, sensational, showy, spine-tingling, stimulating, stirring, thrilling, titillating, wild, zestful |
Antonyms: |
boring, moderate, unenthused, unenthusiastic, unexciting, uninspiring, unpromising, unstimulating |
| Main Entry: | absorbing |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | holding one's attention |
Synonyms: |
arresting, captivating, consuming, engrossing, enthralling, exciting, fascinating, gripping, interesting, intriguing, monopolizing, preoccupying, riveting, spellbinding |
Antonyms: |
boring, irksome |
| Main Entry: | actuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | start a function or action, motivate |
Synonyms: |
activate, animate, arouse, cause, drive, egg on, energize, excite, fire up, impel, incite, induce, influence, inspire, instigate, key up, mobilize, motivate, move, prompt, propel, put up to, quicken, rouse, spur, stimulate, turn on, work into lather, work up |
| Notes: | when something is activated, it is made active; when something is actuated, it is moved to take action (or produce a consequence) to actuate is a general word meaning 'to set working' and has more to do with mechanical action - while activate is used mainly in scientific expressions |
Antonyms: |
impede, stop |
| Main Entry: | agitate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disturb, trouble someone |
Synonyms: |
alarm, argue, arouse, bug up, bug*, burn up, confuse, craze*, debate, discompose, disconcert, discuss, dispute, disquiet, distract, disturb, egg on, examine, excite, ferment, flurry, fluster, get to, incite, inflame, make flip, move, perturb, psych, push buttons, rouse, ruffle, spook, stimulate, stir, trouble, turn on, unhinge, upset, ventilate, work up, worry |
Antonyms: |
calm, not bother, quiet, soothe |
| Main Entry: | anger |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make someone mad; become mad |
Synonyms: |
acerbate, affront, aggravate, agitate, annoy, antagonize, arouse, bait, blow up, boil over, boil, bristle, burn, burn up, chafe, craze*, cross, displease, egg on, embitter, enrage, exacerbate, exasperate, excite, fret, gall, get mad, get on one's nerves, goad, incense, inflame, infuriate, irritate, lose one's temper, madden, make sore, miff, nettle, offend, outrage, pique, provoke, raise hell, rankle, rant, rave, rile, ruffle, seethe, steam up, stew, stir up, tempt, umbrage, vex |
Antonyms: |
calm, forbear, make happy, quiet, soothe |
| Main Entry: | animate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring to life |
Synonyms: |
activate, arouse, cheer, embolden, encourage, energize, enliven, exalt, excite, fire, gladden, hearten, impel, incite, inform, inspire, inspirit, instigate, invigorate, kindle, liven, make alive, move, quicken, revive, revivify, rouse, spark, spur, stimulate, stir, urge, vitalize, vivify |
Antonyms: |
deaden, discourage, kill |
| Main Entry: | awake |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | become or make aware |
Synonyms: |
activate, alert, animate, arouse, awaken, call forth, enliven, excite, incite, kindle, provoke, revive, stimulate, stir up, vivify |
Antonyms: |
deaden, lull |
| Main Entry: | awaken |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make conscious or alert |
Synonyms: |
activate, animate, arouse, awake, call, enliven, excite, fan, incite, kindle, pile out, provoke, rally, revive, rise and shine, roll out, rouse, show a leg, stimulate, stir up, turn out, vivify, wake |
Antonyms: |
deaden, go to sleep, hypnotize |
| Main Entry: | breathtaking |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | beautiful, awesome |
Synonyms: |
amazing, astonishing, awe-inspiring, exciting, hair-raising, heart-stirring, heart-stopping, impressive, magnificent, moving, overwhelming, spine-tingling, stunning, thrilling |
Antonyms: |
disgusting, ugly |