English Reference
adjective · verb

aroused

adj. · v.
US /ɝˈaʊzd/ UK /ɐɹˈaʊzd/ aroused

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.feeling sexually excited.

    adj.physiologically and psychologically stimulated in a sexual manner.

    Simple

    He felt aroused after they spent the evening talking and laughing together.

    In context

    The novel's descriptive passages were intended to leave the reader feeling aroused, though contemporary critics found the prose somewhat heavy-handed.

    Usage

    Commonly used in both medical and casual contexts to describe sexual response.

    excitedhornyturned on
    unexcited
  2. 02 C1 Advanced FormalAcademic

    adj.having strong feelings like anger, curiosity, or interest woken up.

    adj.having specific emotions or physiological responses awakened or stimulated.

    Simple

    The public's curiosity was aroused by the mysterious news reports.

    In context

    The speaker's controversial remarks left the audience with their passions thoroughly aroused, leading to a heated debate during the Q&A session.

    Teacher's tip

    In modern English, this sense is often replaced by 'provoked' or 'stirred' unless referring specifically to 'curiosity' or 'suspicion'.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    v.the past tense of 'arouse', meaning to wake someone or start a feeling.

    v.the past tense and past participle of the transitive verb 'arouse', meaning to evoke a feeling or to awaken someone from sleep.

    Simple

    The loud noise outside aroused the sleeping guard.

    In context

    The sudden change in the company's stock price aroused suspicion among the federal regulators, who immediately launched an investigation.

    Usage

    As a verb, it always takes a direct object.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated