EN

Synonyms for rouse

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

excite stir up provoke incite arouse awaken electrify agitate

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Excite — to provoke (someone) to react (for example, in anger or annoyance); to spur; also, to annoy, to tease

excite, stir up, provoke, incite, stimulate, instigate, stir formal, evoke, inflame, induce, raise, whet, spur, goad, actuate, motivate, summon up, foment, enliven, push, engender, infuriate

2. Arouse — sometimes followed by up, to wake (oneself or someone) from deep thought, or rest or sleep; to awaken

arouse, awaken, waken, wake, awake, rise, knock up UK, call, bring around, arise, roost

3. Electrify — originally chiefly followed by up, to cause (an emotional reaction, a feeling, etc.); to excite, to incite…

electrify, galvanize, galvanise UK, fire, kindle, animate, set fire to, set on fire, quicken, set alight, thrill, exhilarate, vitalize US, vitalise UK, intoxicate, enkindle dated, suscitate dated

4. Agitate

agitate, charge up, charge, charre UK, commove dated

Other

force out, drive out, bestir

Noun

1. Arousal — an act of causing something to be (more) active or to move; a shakeup, a stir; also (chiefly US), a…

arousal, upheaval

Other

wake-up, get-up, work-up, set-off, turn-on, carouse

Antonyms

stupefy

All antonyms of rouse →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To provoke (someone) to react (for example, in anger or annoyance); to spur; also, to annoy, to tease.

  2. v. 2

    Originally chiefly followed by up: to cause (an emotional reaction, a feeling, etc.); to excite, to incite, to stir up.

    to rouse the emotions or passions

  3. v. 3

    Sometimes followed by up: to wake (oneself or someone) from deep thought, or rest or sleep; to awaken.

  4. n. 1

    An act of causing something to be (more) active or to move; a shakeup, a stir; also (chiefly US), a commotion, a disturbance.

Related words

Word family
rousant roustabout rouser rousing

Forms

Plural
rouses → arousals, upheavals, wake-ups, get-ups…
Past participle
roused
e.g. roused → excited, provoked, incited, stimulated…

Example sentences

  • evoke Black and white films evoke a sense of nostalgia.
  • incite The speaker tried to incite the people to rebellion.
  • instigate Feminists instigate women against men.
  • awaken The cock and the other birds awaken me in the morning.
  • arouse Events of that type generally arouse suspicion.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
rouserising
evokerising
incitesteady
instigaterising
awakenrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
call1, fire2, push1, wake1, rise1, stir1, spur1, whet1, goad1
5 letters
raise1, awake2, arise2, evoke2, roost1, waken2
6 letters
charge1, kindle2, thrill1, induce2, awaken3, excite2, incite2, arouse2, foment2, bestir, charre
7 letters
provoke2, animate3, arousal3, quicken2, inflame2, agitate3, enliven3, actuate3, carouse2, commove
8 letters
motivate3, upheaval3, engender3, vitalize, enkindle, vitalise
9 letters
stimulate3, instigate3, infuriate4, electrify4, galvanize3, galvanise, suscitate
10 letters
intoxicate4, exhilarate4

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (fire2 = 2 syllables).