Standard Lemma guide

titillate

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtɪtɪleɪt/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: T IH1 T AH0 L EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To stimulate or excite sensually.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The dancer titillated her audience with gyrations and suggestive movements.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

excite pleasurably or erotically

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • A titillating story appeared in the usually conservative magazine

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stimulate, shake, shake up, excite, stir

3

verb

Meaning 3

touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tickle, vellicate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: itch

History

Etymology

From Latin tītillātus, from tītillāre (“to tickle”).

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: вълнувам (vǎlnuvam) — to excite pleasantly
  • Bulgarian: задоволявам (zadovoljavam) — to excite pleasantly
  • Chinese Mandarin: 挑逗 (tiǎodòu) — to excite pleasantly
  • Chinese Mandarin: 刺激 (cìji) — to excite pleasantly
  • Czech: dráždit — to excite pleasantly
  • Czech: vzrušit — to excite pleasantly
  • Czech: vzrušovat — to excite pleasantly
  • Finnish: kutkuttaa — to excite pleasantly
  • Finnish: kiihottaa — to excite pleasantly
  • French: titiller — to excite pleasantly
  • German: anregen — to excite pleasantly
  • German: erregen — to excite pleasantly
  • Romanian: stimula — to excite pleasantly
  • Romanian: excita — to excite pleasantly
  • Romanian: gâdila — to excite pleasantly
  • Romanian: stârni — to excite pleasantly
  • Russian: возбуждать (vozbuždatʹ) — to excite pleasantly
  • Serbo-Croatian: draškati — to excite pleasantly
  • Spanish: titilar — to excite pleasantly