titillation

tit·il·late

(tĭt′l-āt′)

v. tit·il·lat·ed, tit·il·lat·ing, tit·il·lates

v.tr.

1. To stimulate by touching lightly; tickle.

2. To excite (another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically.

v.intr.

To excite another, especially in a superficial, pleasurable manner: "a steamy story of sex and violence, adultery and murder, designed to titillate as well as to shock" (John Guy).

[Latin tītillāre, tītillāt-, to tickle.]

tit′il·lat′er n.

tit′il·lat′ing·ly adv.

tit′il·la′tion n.

tit′il·la′tive adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	titillation - a tingling feeling of excitement (as from teasing or tickling) excitement, exhilaration - the feeling of lively and cheerful joy; "he could hardly conceal his excitement when she agreed"
	2.	titillation - an agreeable arousal arousal, rousing - the act of arousing; "the purpose of art is the arousal of emotions"
	3.	titillation - the act of tickling tickling, tickle touching, touch - the act of putting two things together with no space between them; "at his touch the room filled with lights"

Translations

titillation

solletico

titillation

[ˌtɪtɪˈleɪʃən] N [of audience, reader] → estimulación f; (sexual) → excitación f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

titillation

[ˌtɪtɪˈleɪʃ^ən] n → titillation f
People buy sex manuals for titillation
BUT Les gens achètent des manuels sur le sexe pour titiller leur libido.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

titillation

n (of person, senses) → Anregung f, → angenehme Erregung; (of interest) → Erregen nt; such titillation is not for the serious-minded → solcher Kitzel ist nichts für ernsthaft gesinnte Menschen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

Rosamond took his way of talking to herself, which was a mixture of playful fault-finding and hyperbolical gallantry, as the disguise of a deeper feeling; and in his presence she felt that agreeable titillation of vanity and sense of romantic drama which Lydgate's presence had no longer the magic to create.

View in context

Delicious titillations of flattered self-esteem betray themselves in Cecilia's lovely complexion.

View in context

It felt more like titillation dressed up as science.

On last night's telly Naked [...]

The "experts" never face up to the real causes; for example, the incessant titillation of the population on matters of sexual activity, all the soaps on TV are encouraging our young people to be promiscuous, and, of course, the Welsh Assembly has added fuel to the fire by giving out morning-after pills free to young women and underage girls, without parental consent, should they have had sexual intercourse.

STIs are the fault of our modern society

A masterclass in terror titillation. Available digitally from Monday and also on DVD PS19.99/Blu-ray PS24.99 THE HAPPY PRINCE 15 RUPERT Everett writes, directs and stars in this gripping drama about Oscar Wilde's final years.

dvd

A professor in the religious studies department at the University of Virginia, Kevin Hart's Christianity is ever present even as he writes passionately of young love, titillation, and "thin girls who taste of Beaujolais at night." That he is comfortable with grief, mystery, solemnity, biblical and classical history, and humility instills his work with rare depth.

Barefoot

Because of the free, nationwide TV coverage, our publicity hungry senators and congressmen really grandstand in verbal bullying in aid, not of legislation, but of titillation and demolition.

Abolish hearings 'in aid of legislation'

Still, I'm sure Channel 4 aren't just showing it for titillation and controversy - as if.

The naked truth

A prefect way to escape from life with a mix of laughs, horror and a bit of titillation. It is a guilty pleasure that is easy to hide on your electronic device but be prepared with a story if you friends start questioning you on why you are grinning and blushing.

Love Bites

Peacock, author of the acclaimed The Boy Sherlock Holmes series, accurately captures a young man's fantasies in a 007 kind of thriller without sexual titillation or offensive language.

Peacock, Shane. Double You: The Seven Sequels

"The hypocrisy lies in permitting the audience the titillation of watching a woman behaving badly for three acts on the condition that she points up the moral by dying miserably in the fourth."

Fallen Women operas

OKAY, hands up - which one of you depraved weirdos tuned into Channel Four's Sex Box in the hope of finding some mild titillation? No, don't look over your shoulder, it's you I'm talking to.