Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

excite

/ɪkˈsaɪt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.29 in modern English

Syllables: ex-cite
IPA: /ɪkˈsaɪt/

15

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.

Transitive verb

verb

To arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate.

Transitive verb

verb

To cause an electron to move to a higher than normal state; to promote an electron to an outer level.

Transitive verb

verb

To energize (an electromagnet); to produce a magnetic field in.

Example Sentences

"The fireworks which opened the festivities excited anyone present."
"Favoritism tends to excite jealousy in the ones not being favored."
"The political reforms excited unrest among the population."
"Smugglers operating secretly so as not to excite suspicion."
"[S]he assured them […] that they had better follow her to a place of safety. They were at length excited, by her mere importunance to leave the room, and soon after the house."
"[S]eint Poul seith and to the Romayns he hath writen that bi heeringe of swich ringinge men haven the feith perfytliche so that he putte not the ringinge in the scrippe but it exiteth the memorie in what manere men shulden bileeue"

Etymology

From Middle English exciten, from Old French exciter, from Latin excitō (“to call out, call forth, arouse, wake up, stimulate”), frequentative of excieō (“to call out, arouse, excite”), from ex (“out”) + cieō (“to call, summon”). See cite and compare to accite, concite, incite.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *keyh₂-, exciten, exciter, excitō

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

excites (present, singular) exciting (participle, present) excited (participle, past) excited (past) no-table-tags (table tags) glossary (inflection template) excited (first person, past) excitest (archaic, present) excited (past, second person) excitedst (archaic, past) exciteth (archaic, present) excited (past, singular)

Derived Forms

deexcite excitability excitable excitative exciteful excitive exciton excitosome excitron overexcite photoexcite preexcite

Phrases

self-excite

Frequently Paired Words

excitement excitation

Synonyms

affect move touch instigate fire provoke abet actuate goose fuel light a fire under send

Antonyms

relax calm

Rhymes With

right might night white light quite fight site non-white write tonight despite

Questions

How do you pronounce excite?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɪkˈsaɪt/.
What does excite mean?: To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.
Where does excite come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce excite

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “excite”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪkˈsaɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “excite”.
Repeat and practice — Say “excite” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.