刺激
Meaning in Englishstimulus, incentive, stimulation
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
Stimulus or stimulation that provokes a response in a person, physically or mentally; it describes anything that arouses attention, energy, or a motive to act, across contexts from psychology to everyday life.
Main meanings
- Primary sense as a noun: something that provokes a reaction or attention in a system or person
- Connotation of emotional or cognitive arousal, motivation, or provocative influence
- In everyday usage, can describe stimulating experiences, ideas, or media that grab interest
How to use it
Used across psychology, medicine, marketing, media, and everyday conversation. In formal writing it denotes a neutral stimulus or triggering factor; in casual speech it can describe exciting experiences or provocative content. Common grammatical patterns include the noun acting as subject with respect to stimulus reception or provision, and the adjectival form describing things that are stimulating.
Variants and close terms
- 衝撃 (しょうげき, shougeki) — shock, impact
- 興奮 (こうふん, koufun) — excitement, arousal
- 刺激的 (しげきてき, shigekiteki) — stimulating, provocative
- 動機づけ (どうきづけ, doukizuke) — motivation
Composition
- 刺: to prick or stab; serves as a metaphor for a triggering action
- 激: intense, to excite
- Combined meaning: something that provokes a response and initiates action or attention
Etymology
From the Sino-Japanese compound formed by 刺 and 激, using on'yomi readings to yield shigeki; the characters individually mean to prick/stab and to excite or be intense, combined to express provoking a response.
Word class
Noun (名詞)