Basic Details
Word: Stimulate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To make something more active or to encourage it to grow or develop, such as an idea, interest or a part of the body.
Synonyms: encourage, arouse, excite, boost
Antonyms: dull, discourage
How to Spell Stimulate
Syllables: stim - u - late
Tricky part: The middle vowel is u (stim-u-late), which sounds weak and is often written as i or e.
Watch out for: stimilate, stimelate, stimulat
Memory tip: Find the u in the middle by thinking of stimulus, the thing that makes you react: stimul-us, stimul-ate.
Usage Examples
Example 1: A good teacher can stimulate even the quietest student to ask questions.
Example 2: Lower taxes were meant to stimulate trade in the town's markets.
Example 3: Bright pictures and simple sounds stimulate a baby's senses.
Fun Fact
The Latin stimulus was a pointed stick used to drive cattle forward, which is exactly what stimulate does to the mind.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word stimulate as it is used in the sentence:
Riddles and puzzles stimulate young minds and keep them curious.
a) dull
b) excite
c) arouse
d) encourage
Show answer
a) dull. To dull a mind is to make it slow, which undoes what stimulating does.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to complete the word:
stim_l_te
a) e, a
b) u, e
c) u, a
d) i, a
Show answer
c) u, a. The word is built on stimulus, which supplies the u, and it ends in ate.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The new library and its weekend quizzes are meant to tumlsitea interest in reading.
a) simulate
b) stipulate
c) stimulate
d) emulate
Show answer
c) stimulate. Simulate and emulate have only one t, and stipulate has a p instead of an m.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is most likely to stimulate your appetite?
a) a long nap
b) a closed kitchen
c) the smell of fresh pakoras
d) a cold shower
Show answer
c) the smell of fresh pakoras
2. A stimulating lesson is one that ____.
a) puts you to sleep
b) repeats itself
c) makes you think
d) ends early
Show answer
c) makes you think
