/ ɪkˈsaɪt; NAmE / verb [ vn ]
1.
to make sb feel very pleased, interested or enthusiastic, especially about sth that is going to happen :
The prospect of a year in India greatly excited her.
2.
to make sb nervous or upset and unable to relax :
Don't excite yourself (= keep calm) .
Try not to excite your baby too much before bedtime.
3.
excite sth (in sb) to make sb feel a particular emotion or react in a particular way
SYN arouse :
The European Parliament is not an institution which excites interest in voters.
to excite attention / criticism / curiosity
The news has certainly excited comment (= made people talk about it) .
4.
to make sb feel sexual desire
SYN arouse
5.
( formal ) to make a part of the body or part of a physical system more active
SYN stimulate
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense incite someone to do something ): from Old French exciter or Latin excitare , frequentative of exciere call out or forth. Sense 1 dates from the mid 19th cent.