stimulate

/ˈstim-yə-ˌlāt/

Latin stimulatus, past participle of stimulare, from stimulus goad; perhaps akin to Latin stilus stem, stylus

verb

  1. to excite to activity or growth or to greater activity : animate, arouse

  2. to function as a physiological stimulus to

  3. to arouse or affect by a stimulant (such as a drug)

provoke excite stimulate pique quicken mean to arouse as if by pricking. provoke directs attention to the response called forth. excite implies a stirring up or moving profoundly.

noun

  1. excessive or extreme stimulation : the act or process of excessively stimulating something or someone

The donors were fertile women who underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and … ultrasound-directed aspiration of oocytes for the sole purpose of donation.

verb

  1. to stimulate to an excessive or abnormal degree

The ongoing presence of HIV overstimulates B cells, which are abundant in the lymph nodes, and keeps them in a state of chronic activation.