Synonyms for whet
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Sharpen — to make more keen or to stimulate (someone's appetite, interest, etc.); to hone, to sharpen
sharpen, quicken, rouse, kindle, animate, awaken, galvanize, galvanise UK, fire, wake, exhilarate, thrill, invigorate, enliven, intoxicate, waken, electrify, enkindle dated, suscitate dated
2. Excite — to inculcate or teach (habits, information, etc.)
excite, stimulate, incite, provoke, arouse, stir up, whip up, inflame, stir, spur, goad, foment, instigate, incense, pique, stoke, tempt, ignite, spur on, motivate, evoke, induce
3. Steel — to sharpen (something, such as a knife or sword) by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone; to hone
4. Smarten up — of a bird, to preen (its feathers)
Definitions
- v. 1
To sharpen (something, such as a knife or sword) by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone; to hone.
- v. 2
To make more keen or to stimulate (someone's appetite, interest, etc.); to hone, to sharpen.
to whet one's appetite or one's courage
- v. 3
To inculcate or teach (habits, information, etc.).
- v. 4
Of a bird: to preen (its feathers).
Related words
- Word family
- whetstone
Forms
- Past participle
- whetted
e.g. whetted → sharpened, quickened, roused, kindled…
Example sentences
- sharpen This pencil is blunt. Could you sharpen it, please?
- exhilarate A Christmas present like that will certainly exhilarate him.
- incite The speaker tried to incite the people to rebellion.
- arouse Events of that type generally arouse suspicion.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| whet | falling | |
| sharpen | steady | |
| exhilarate | steady | |
| incite | steady | |
| arouse | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- fire2, wake1, stir1, spur1, goad1
- 5 letters
- steel1, stoke1, evoke2, tempt1, rouse1, pique1, waken2, strop, primp1
- 6 letters
- kindle2, thrill1, induce2, awaken3, ignite2, excite2, incite2, arouse2, foment2
- 7 letters
- provoke2, incense2, sharpen2, animate3, quicken2, inflame2, enliven3
- 8 letters
- motivate3, enkindle
- 9 letters
- stimulate3, instigate3, electrify4, galvanize3, galvanise, suscitate
- 10 letters
- invigorate4, intoxicate4, exhilarate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (fire2 = 2 syllables).