Ex·cite v. t. [imp. & p. p. Excited; p. pr. & vb. n. exciting.]
1. To call to activity in any way; to rouse to feeling; to kindle to passionate emotion; to stir up to combined or general activity; as, to excite a person, the spirits, the passions; to excite a mutiny or insurrection; to excite heat by friction.
2. Physiol. To call forth or increase the vital activity of an organism, or any of its parts.
3. Elec. To energize (an electro-magnet); to produce a magnetic field in; as, to excite a dynamo.
4. Physics To raise to a higher energy level; -- used especially of atoms or molecules, or of electrons within atoms or molecules; as, absorption of a photon excites the cesium atom, which subsequently radiates the excess energy.
Syn: -- To incite; awaken; animate; rouse or arouse; stimulate; inflame; irritate; provoke.
Usage: -- To Excite, Incite. When we excite we rouse into action feelings which were less strong; when we incite we spur on or urge forward to a specific act or end. Demosthenes excited the passions of the Athenians against Philip, and thus incited the whole nation to unite in the war against him. Antony, by his speech over the body of Cæsar, so excited the feelings of the populace, that Brutus and his companions were compelled to flee from Rome; many however, were incited to join their standard, not only by love of liberty, but hopes of plunder.
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excited
adj 1: in an aroused state [ant: unexcited]
2: of persons; excessively affected by emotion; "he would
become emotional over nothing at all"; "she was worked up
about all the noise" [syn: aroused, emotional, worked
up]
3: marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion; "a crowd of
delirious baseball fans"; "something frantic in their
gaiety"; "a mad whirl of pleasure" [syn: delirious, frantic,
mad, unrestrained]
4: of e.g. a molecule; made reactive or more reactive [syn: activated]