Excites

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Causes a person or group to feel eager or enthusiastic ; triggers increased activity or responsiveness in a physical or mental process
2. Induces intense emotions or passion in someone ; arouses or enhances functioning in bodily or cognitive systems
3. Evokes excitement or interest in an individual ; prompts heightened alertness or activation in various states

Etymology: "Excites" is the third-person singular present form of "excite", so the story belongs to the verb itself. The root is the Latin "excitare", meaning to call out, call forth, or wake up, built from "ex" ("out") and "ciere", "to call, summon". That makes the verb's core image one of summoning something out of its resting place, which is why the modern sense of stirring feeling or alertness in a person sits so neatly on top of it. The word came into English in Middle English as "exciten", borrowed through Old French "exciter". Its Latin parent was a frequentative, a form signalling repeated or intensive action, so the verb carried the sense of calling out again and again rather than once. Its relatives include "incite", "accite", and "concite", all built on the same Latin base.

Synonyms: stimulates, enthuses, thrills, invigorates, arouses

Antonyms: bored, calms, dulls, disinterests