1
as in to awaken
to cause to stop sleeping
the rooster's crow aroused me from my deep sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to awake
to cease to be asleep
set the alarm so we would arouse at 5:00 a.m.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the court's controversial decision aroused many to protest and to lobby the legislature for a constitutional amendment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arouse
Johanna’s worldly bearing and otherworldly beauty; the unbearable stirrings of jealousy aroused when her teacher bonds with other students; the deeper bond that forms when Johanne impulsively pays a visit to Johanna’s apartment.
—
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
When her husband’s relationship with their enigmatic new neighbor becomes increasingly intense, Fiona’s suspicions are aroused.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
Defending rights and progress aroused attendees at that January meeting in 2025 as strongly as denouncing forced colonization aroused attendees at the mass meeting 208 years earlier.
—Linn Washington, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2025
Love Is Blind leaves the answer on a cliffhanger, but internet sleuths have been quick to locate the picture that aroused Taylor’s suspicions in the first place.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
When her husband’s relationship with their enigmatic new neighbor becomes increasingly intense, Fiona’s suspicions are aroused.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
Defending rights and progress aroused attendees at that January meeting in 2025 as strongly as denouncing forced colonization aroused attendees at the mass meeting 208 years earlier.
—Linn Washington, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2025
Love Is Blind leaves the answer on a cliffhanger, but internet sleuths have been quick to locate the picture that aroused Taylor’s suspicions in the first place.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouse
Verb
-
The 8-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to … Continue reading Police: 2 boys shot, one fatally in South Shore Chicago Tribune A sleeping Taylor was awakened by a loud noise and found Josiah with a gunshot to the head, according to police.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2025
-
At sunrise, the desert awakens with the calls of cactus wrens and the scurrying of jackrabbits while the striking silhouettes of saguaro cacti stretch toward the sky.—
Visit Tucson,
AFAR Media,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Carroll, in an interview before his death, recalled being awoken one night at 3:30 a.m. by a ringing phone from a top skating official.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2025
-
In both, the protagonist is awoken by the game’s main heroine, have completely lost their memory, and both focus on the survivors of a great calamity — with Earth being destroyed in Xenoblade, and Ganon destroying Hyrule in Zelda.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The comments provoked a public spat on X between the tech billionaire and several current and retired astronauts.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Gal Gadot's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony provoked protests over the Israel-Hamas war.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In a post on Reddit, the woman said that her husband, 53, woke her up on her birthday to tell her there was a surprise waiting downstairs.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
-
It’s called restorative justice or some other such woke nonsense.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Unsurprisingly, Japanese Breakfast received rousing applause at the end of this approximately one-hour show.—
David Chiu,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The rousing pop number is the trio’s debut release of 2025 and comes ahead of their 20th anniversary celebration, JonasCon.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
On April 5, disenfranchised Americans are being encouraged to protest the Trump administration's policies as part of a national movement in myriad cities, hosted by a group of older Americans called Third Act.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
-
While some children have been exposed to its harmful gel through everyday play, a TikTok trend has made matters worse, encouraging kids to microwave the toy, sometimes with devastating consequences.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Enhance Elasticity Enhances elasticity by deeply nourishing the skin and stimulating collagen production, which helps improve firmness and resilience.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
21 Mar. 2025
-
In short, the PFD effectively stimulates consumer spending, supports jobs and businesses, and contributes to economic stability in Alaska.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouse. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share