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Glite Dictionary
😉 To excite 🪶 To tickle
to titillate

to titillate

8 8.3
Make someone feel a little excited in a playful or sexual way
  • verb
  • /ˈtɪtɪˌleɪt/
  • NSFW
translation icon : excitar
  • Is it just to titillate the audience, or is there something to learn from this?

Examples

  • Such rubbish is intended to titillate, not to inform.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The book is meant to titillate, and I can accept there's an audience for it.

    Blog text (13)

  • I tell this story not merely to titillate historians, but because the very same thing has happened to America.

    Blog text (13)

  • I am titillated by the notion of working with you.

    Iron Man 3 (2013)

  • "I glanced at the students, fully three-quarters of whom were watching us, and wondered who intended to titillate."

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Just so much sensationalized nonsense to outrage and titillate bored consumers.

    Blog text (18)

  • The country was titillated, captivated, mystified, and enthralled by the Astral Egg.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • But where Napolitano merely titillates and provokes, polymath and best-selling science writer Timothy Ferris satiates and delights.

    Academic text (2010)

  • The novel's plot was designed to titillate readers with its mix of mystery and romance.

  • Her suggestive remarks were meant to titillate the audience during the performance.

Synonyms

to stimulate
vsto titillate
236 3.7

Make a person or thing more active, alert and responsive

focuses more on light pleasurable or mildly erotic stimulation
to thrill
vsto titillate
201 2.1

To give a sudden strong feeling of excitement and pleasure

is usually a gentler, ongoing pleasurable stimulation rather than a shock
to turn on
vsto titillate
  • NSFW
152 7.2

To make someone feel excited or interested

is milder and more playful rather than direct sexual arousal
to delight
vsto titillate
79 2.1

To please someone very much

is more likely to be light, slightly erotic, and teasing rather than pure joy
to arouse
vsto titillate
  • NSFW
42 6.6

Make someone feel sexual desire or excitement

is gentler and often suggests light pleasurable stimulation instead
to tease
vsto titillate
  • NSFW
39 3.5

To make someone feel excited or curious without telling them more

is similar but aims to pleasantly stimulate rather than frustrate
to excite
vsto titillate
  • NSFW
18 5.7

To make someone feel sexual desire

is usually lighter and more teasing than strong sexual arousal
to tantalize
vsto titillate
6 7.4

To show something nice to someone and keep it just out of reach

focuses on playful pleasant stimulation rather than withholding gratification
to enrapture
vsto titillate
  • Literature
6 7.8

To make someone feel very happy and amazed

is milder and more suggestive rather than deeply overwhelming pleasure

Antonyms

to bore
15 1.4

To make someone feel tired or not interested by being dull when you speak

How Arousing

to excite
331 2.7
to arouse
  • NSFW
42 6.6
to titillate
  • NSFW
8 8.3
to tease
  • NSFW
39 3.5

Surface Forms

titillate infinitive
titillated past
titillated past participle
titillating present participle
titillates third person singular

Morphology

titillate = titill + ate

The verb is built from a Latin combining form 'titill-' plus the verbalizing suffix '-ate', but the root is not a productive or standalone English word, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from its parts.

Etymology

Titillate comes from the Latin verb titillare, which means 'to tickle'. Think of it as 'tickling' someone's feelings or curiosity, so to titillate is to excite or lightly please someone, often in a playful or slightly sexual way.