Stimulant
'stɪmjʊlənt
Definitions
2 meaningsA substance that increases physiological or nervous activity.
'stɪmjʊlənt
A substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body.
The doctor prescribed a stimulant to help with her fatigue.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're feeling sleepy, and then you drink a coffee. The coffee gives you energy, right? That coffee is acting like a stimulant—something that wakes you up and gets you going!
👶 For kids: A stimulant is something that gives you extra energy, like a special boost!
More Examples
Coffee and energy drinks are common stimulants.
Athletes sometimes use stimulants to enhance their performance.
How It's Used
"Caffeine is a common stimulant found in coffee."
"Doctors prescribe stimulants to treat ADHD."
Tending to stimulate or excite.
'stɪmjʊlənt
Serving to stimulate or excite.
The music had a stimulant effect on the crowd.
💡 Simply: Think of a pep talk that makes you excited to get started on a project. That pep talk is stimulant. It's something that gets you fired up and motivated!
👶 For kids: Something that makes you feel excited and ready to go!
More Examples
The exciting news was stimulant and caused everyone to cheer.
He found the challenging puzzles to be stimulant and enjoyed working on them.
How It's Used
"The motivational speech was very stimulant and energized the audience."
"Exposure to sunlight has a stimulant effect on the body."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
brain stimulant
A substance or activity designed to improve cognitive function or mental performance.
"Coffee is often considered a brain stimulant for improving alertness."
From Latin *stimulans*, present participle of *stimulare* 'to goad, incite'.
The term 'stimulant' has been used in medical texts since the 18th century to describe substances that excite the physiological functions.
Memory tip
Think of a 'stimulus' as something that gives a boost, then a stimulant is something that gives that boost in the form of a substance.
Word Origin
"to goad, incite"