| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hold the attention of |
| Synonyms: | affect, amuse, appeal, appeal to, arouse, attract, be interesting to, concern, divert, engage, engross, entertain, enthrall, excite, fascinate, grab, hook, intrigue, involve, lure, move, perk up, pique, please, pull, sit up, snare, tantalize, tempt, titillate, touch, turn on |
| Antonyms: | bore, bother, disenchant, disinterest |
| Main Entry: | kindle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | excite, incite |
| Synonyms: | agitate, animate, arouse, awaken, bestir, burn up, challenge, egg on, enkindle, exasperate, fire up, foment, get smoking, induce, inflame, inspire, key up, provoke, rally, rouse, sharpen, stimulate, stir, thrill, turn on, wake, waken, whet, work up |
| Antonyms: | disenchant, turn off |
| Main Entry: | motivate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stimulate, instigate |
| Synonyms: | actuate, arouse, bring, cause, dispose, draw, drive, egg on, excite, fire, galvanize, give incentive, goad, goose, impel, incite, incline, induce, innervate, innerve, inspire, inspirit, lead, move, persuade, pique, predetermine, predispose, prevail upon, prompt, propel, provoke, quicken, rouse, set afoot, set astir, sound, spark, spur, suggest, sway, touch off, trigger, whet |
| Antonyms: | depress, disconcert, discourage, dissuade |
| Main Entry: | pique |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | offend, provoke |
| Synonyms: | absorb, affront, annoy, arouse, bother, bug*, displease, egg on, exasperate, excite, fire up, gall, galvanize, get a rise out of, get under skin, get*, give a hard time, give the business, goad, goose, grab, ignite, incense, irk, irritate, kindle, make waves, miff, mortify, motivate, move, nettle, offend, peeve, prick, put out, quicken, rile, rouse, spur, stimulate, sting*, stir, vex, whet, work up, wound |
| Notes: | peak means 'maximize,' peek means 'to peep or snoop,' and pique means 'to excite or irritate' |
| Antonyms: | delight, please |
| Main Entry: | poke |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | push at; thrust |
| Synonyms: | arouse, awaken, bulge, butt*, crowd, dig, elbow, goose, hit, jab, jostle, jut, nudge*, overhang, prod, project, protrude, provoke, punch, ram, rouse, shoulder, shove, stab, stand out, stick, stick out, stimulate, stir |
| Main Entry: | prompt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | incite, cue |
| Synonyms: | advise, aid, arouse, assist, bring up, call forth, cause, convince, draw, egg on, elicit, evoke, exhort, get, give rise to, goad, help, help out, hint, impel, imply, indicate, induce, inspire, instigate, jog, mention, motivate, move, occasion, persuade, prick*, prod, propel, propose, provoke, refresh, remind, sic, spur, stimulate, suggest, talk into, urge, win over |
| Antonyms: | halt, prevent, stop |
| Main Entry: | provoke |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | start, evoke; stimulate |
| Synonyms: | animate, arouse, awaken, begin, bestir, bring about, bring down, bring on, bring to one's feet, build up, call forth, cause, challenge, draw forth, electrify, elicit, enthuse, excite, fire, fire up, galvanize, generate, give rise to, incite, induce, inflame, innervate, innerve, inspire, instigate, kindle, lead to, make, motivate, move, occasion, pique, precipitate, prime, produce, promote, prompt, quicken, rally, rouse, roust, stir, suscitate, thrill, titillate, titivate, waken, whet |
| Notes: | provoke means to stir up or arouse - or to incite to anger or resentment; evoke means to call forth or call to mind emotions, feelings, and responses |
| Antonyms: | end, halt, prevent, stop |
| Main Entry: | quicken |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make faster; invigorate |
| Synonyms: | accelerate, activate, actuate, animate, arouse, awaken, dispatch, energize, excite, expedite, galvanize, goad, grow, hasten, hurry, impel, incite, increase, innervate, innerve, inspire, kindle, liven, make haste, motivate, move, pique, precipitate, promote, refresh, revitalize, revive, rouse, shake up, speed, spring, spur, step up, stimulate, stir, strengthen, urge, vitalize, vivificate, vivify |
| Antonyms: | dull, retard, slow, weaken |
| Main Entry: | raise |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | start up, motivate; introduce |
| Synonyms: | abet, activate, advance, arouse, awaken, bring up, broach, cause, evoke, excite, foment, foster, incite, instigate, kindle, moot, motivate, provoke, put forward, resurrect, set, set on, stir up, suggest, whip up |
| Notes: | to raise is 'to bring something up'; to rise is 'to get up' one rears children and raises crops |
| Antonyms: | conclude, finish, stop |