Arouse
/əˈraʊz/
verbB2
Definition
Arouse means to make someone feel a strong emotion or interest, or to cause something to begin. It can be used when talking about feelings like excitement, curiosity, or anger. It also means to wake someone up or make them more alert.
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⚡ See It in Action
To cause a feeling or emotion to begin or become stronger
- •The movie aroused strong feelings of sadness in the audience.
- •Her speech aroused hope among the people.
- •The news aroused curiosity about the new project.
To wake someone from sleep or make someone more alert
- •The loud noise aroused him from deep sleep.
- •The alarm clock aroused everyone in the house.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "arouse" like "wake," but for feelings or emotions, not just sleep
- ✓Picture a loud sound or bright light suddenly making you pay attention or feel excited
- ✓It's the feeling when a story or movie makes you interested or excited inside
- ✓Sounds like "a-ROUZ" → imagine a quiet room suddenly ROUSING (waking) a sleeping person or a quiet feeling into action
- ✓In stories, a hero’s speech might arouse courage in the listeners, making them ready to act
- ✓NOT like "feel" (which is just experiencing), "arouse" means to start or increase the feeling actively
- ✓NOT like "calm" (which makes feelings less strong), "arouse" makes feelings stronger or active
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Stimulate: to encourage activity or interest (Use when talking about increasing energy or interest in a general way)
- •Excite: to make someone feel very happy or enthusiastic (Use when the feeling is positive and strong)
- •Wake: to stop sleeping (Use when talking about sleep or becoming alert physically)
- •Provoke: to cause a strong, often negative, reaction (Use when the feeling is anger or annoyance)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "a-" (a prefix meaning "to" or "toward") + "rouse" (to wake or stir up)
- •Etymology: From Old French "arouser," from "reuser" meaning "to rouse, wake"
- •Historical development: Originally meant to wake from sleep, later extended to mean stirring feelings or interest
- •Modern usage: Used in both physical (wake up) and emotional (cause feelings) contexts
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How does the word "arouse" change when talking about emotions versus physical waking?
•Can something arouse both positive and negative feelings? How do you decide which meaning fits best?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The loud thunderstorm aroused ___ from their sleep very early in the morning.
2.Her story aroused ___ interest in the new book among the students.
3.The teacher’s question aroused ___ curiosity, making the class want to learn more.
4.Unlike "calm," the word arouse means to make feelings ___ or stronger.
5.The movie aroused ___ emotions like fear and excitement at the same time.
6.Arouse is often used with words like "strong," "deep," or "great" to describe the ___ of feelings.
7.When someone arouses anger, they cause a ___ reaction that may lead to arguing or fighting.