titillate means to stimulate or excite sensually. It carries an Arena rating of 1885, earned across 21 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, titillate ranks #602 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #861 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #1,448 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #1,455 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
titillate is pronounced /ˈtɪtɪleɪt/.
Why “titillate” is a great word
To excite or stimulate, especially in a pleasurable or mildly erotic way. From the Latin tītillāre, meaning "to tickle." Unlike "arouse," which suggests a deeper, more direct summons of desire, or "tease," which focuses on provocation with an edge of denial, to titillate is to stir the surface with a lighter, more superficial touch. It is the whispered aside in a crowded room, the half-glimpsed skin in candlelight, the precisely crafted double entendre that flutters at the edge of consciousness—a delicate agitation of the senses, all the more potent for its refusal to deepen.
Etymology
From Latin tītillātus, from tītillāre (“to tickle”).
verb
- To stimulate or excite sensually.e.g.“The dancer titillated her audience with gyrations and suggestive movements.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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