Толковый словарь английского языка

[Word Family: adjective: ↑excitable, ↑excited, ↑exciting ≠ ↑unexciting, ↑excitable; noun: ↑excitement, ↑excitability; adverb: ↑excitedly, ↑excitingly; verb: ↑excite]

[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: exciter, from Latin excitare, from citare 'to set in movement']

1. [not in progressive] to make someone feel happy, interested, or eager:

His playing is technically brilliant, but it doesn’t excite me.

2. formal to cause a particular feeling or reaction SYN arouse

excite interest/curiosity/sympathy etc

The court case has excited a lot of public interest.

He tried not to do anything to excite the suspicion of the police.

excite comment/speculation/a reaction

The book excited very little comment.

3. to make someone feel sexual desire SYN arouse

4. technical to make an organ, nerve etc in your body react or increase its activity

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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)

■ nouns

▪ excite interest She is a talented young actress who has excited a lot of interest.

▪ excite curiosity Rumours of hidden treasure excited our curiosity.

▪ excite sympathy She sought to excite the jury's sympathy at every possible opportunity.

▪ excite anger The government's proposals have excited anger among teachers.

▪ excite hatred/hostility He accused sections of the media of trying to excite racial hatred.

▪ excite a reaction The figures are unlikely to excite any reaction on the money markets.

▪ excite comments The film excited a lot of favourable comments, both here and in America.

▪ excite rumours British English, excite rumors AmE: The photographs excited rumours that their marriage is over.

▪ excite speculation (=encourage people to discuss something when they do not know the facts) The cut in US interest rates excited speculation of a similar cut in the UK.