English
excite
Etymology

From Middle English exciten, from Old French exciter, from Latin excitare, frequentative of exciere ("call out, arouse, excite"), from ex ("out") + ciere ("call, summon").

Pronunciation
  • enPR: ĭk-sītʹ, IPA: /ɪkˈsaɪt/
Verb

excite (excites, present participle exciting; simple past and past participle excited)

  1. (transitive) To stir the emotions of.
    The fireworks which opened the festivities excited anyone present.
  2. (transitive) To arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate.
    Favoritism tends to excite jealousy in the ones not being favored.
    The political reforms excited unrest among the population.
    There are drugs designed to excite certain nerves in our body.
  3. (transitive, physics) To cause an electron to move to a higher than normal state; to promote an electron to an outer level.
    By applying electric potential to the neon atoms, the electrons become excited, then emit a photon when returning to normal.
  4. To energize (an electromagnet); to produce a magnetic field in.
    to excite a dynamo
Conjugation
Conjugation of excite

infinitive (to) excite
present tense past tense
1st-person singular excite excited
2nd-person singular

 excite, excitest†

 excited, excitedst†
3rd-person singular

 excites, exciteth†

 excited
plural

 excite

subjunctive

 excite

excited
imperative

 excite

—
participles

 exciting

 excited

†Archaic or obsolete.

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