titillate
verb /ˈtɪtɪleɪt/
/ˈtɪtɪleɪt/
[intransitive, transitive] (often disapproving)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they titillate | /ˈtɪtɪleɪt/ /ˈtɪtɪleɪt/ |
| he / she / it titillates | /ˈtɪtɪleɪts/ /ˈtɪtɪleɪts/ |
| past simple titillated | /ˈtɪtɪleɪtɪd/ /ˈtɪtɪleɪtɪd/ |
| past participle titillated | /ˈtɪtɪleɪtɪd/ /ˈtɪtɪleɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form titillating | /ˈtɪtɪleɪtɪŋ/ /ˈtɪtɪleɪtɪŋ/ |
- to cause somebody to be interested or excited, especially in a sexual way
- titillating pictures
- titillate something a story intended to titillate the imagination of the public
- a selection of dishes to titillate your palate
Word Originearly 17th cent. (earlier (Middle English) as titillation): from Latin titillat- ‘tickled’, from the verb titillare.