Skip to main content
stimulus

stimulus

289 4.5
Something that causes a person, animal, or plant to respond
  • noun
  • /ˈstɪmjələs/
translation icon : estímulo
  • During the experiment, the researchers introduced a light flash as a stimulus to measure reactions.
  • external stimuli
  • visual stimuli
  • speech stimuli

Every human being is a stimulus and a response.

Autoplay Next

Examples

Synonyms

input
vsstimulus
139 3.0

Information or advice given to help a decision

is the triggering event or signal that brings about a reaction rather than feedback
stimulation
vsstimulus
28 4.1

Something that makes someone more interested or active

is the specific event that causes that process rather than the process itself
stimulant
vsstimulus
3 5.0

Something that makes activity or interest increase

is the more general event or information causing reaction rather than a chemical agent
elicitor
vsstimulus
  • Specialized
8.1

Something like a picture or question that makes someone react

is the general cause of a response beyond specialized research uses

Antonyms

inhibition
  • Specialized
6 7.5

An action that reduces the activity of a nerve or body part

Compounds

conditioned stimulus
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A thing that used to be neutral and now makes a learned response after being paired with a natural trigger

Something unpleasant that makes an action less likely

9.9

A sign that tells a person or animal when an action will bring a reward

aversive stimulus
  • Specialized
8.0

Something unpleasant that makes a person or animal learn to stay away

A thing taken away to make an action less likely, for example leaving a room when a child cries

reinforcing stimulus
  • Specialized
6.8

A thing that makes someone repeat an action, like food or praise

Something pleasant that someone gives after a behavior to make it happen again

positive stimulus
  • Specialized
4.6

Something like praise or a reward that makes someone do something again

7.7

To react the same way to things that look or sound like what you learned

How Stimulating

provocation
58 7.2
stimulus
289 4.5

Surface Forms

stimulus singular
stimuli plural

Etymology

The word stimulus comes from the Latin stimulus, which meant a 'goad' or a small 'poke' used to make an animal move, so imagine a little poke that starts action. You can see the same idea in the word stimulate, which means to make something active. That's why a stimulus today is anything that 'pushes' the body or mind to respond.