(verb) : stĭmŭlo, āvi, ātum, 1, id.
* To prick with a goad, to prick or goad on, to urge on (syn. pungo).
* Lit. (post-Aug. and rare): quadrijugos flagello,Sil. 4, 439: equos calcaribus,Val. Max. 3, 2, 9; for which, poet. transf.: turbatos currus,Luc. 7, 570; Sil. 16, 367: aries stimulatus,Col. 7, 3, 5.
* Trop., to goad, torment, vex, trouble, disquiet, disturb (class. and freq.; syn. agito): jactor, crucior, agitor, stimulor, vorsor in amoris rota miser,Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 4: hunc sibi ex animo scrupulum, qui se dies noctesque stimulat ac pungit, ut evellatis, postulat,Cic. Rosc. Am. 2, 6: larvae stimulant virum,Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 66: te conscientiae stimulant maleficiorum tuorum,Cic. Par. 2, 18: me nunc et congressus hujus (Caesaris) stimulat,id. Att. 9, 15, 2: me haec solitudo minus stimulat quam ista celebritas,id. ib. 12, 13, 1: consulem cura de minore filio stimulabat,Liv. 44, 44: stimulatus furenti rabie,Cat. 63, 4: curis animum stimulantibus,Claud. in Ruf. 2, 326.
* In gen., to rouse up, set in motion; to spur on, incite, stimulate to any action (syn. cieo, excio).
* With simple acc.: Phrygio stimulat numero cava tibia mentes,Lucr. 2, 620: aliquem,Liv. 3, 68, 10: avita gloria animum stimulabat,id. 1, 22, 2: irā stimulante animos,id. 1, 12, 1; 30, 11: cupido animum stimulabat,Curt. 4, 7, 8; 6, 5, 19: stimulata pellicis irā,Ov. M. 4, 235.—With inanim. objects: jurgia praecipue vino stimulata,Ov. A. A. 1, 591: Persicorum sucus sitim stimulat,Plin. 23, 7, 67, § 132; so, venerem,id. 20, 5, 15, § 32; cf. conceptus,id. 2, 8, 6, § 38: fugam hostium,id. 9, 8, 9, § 32: iras functas,to revive, arouse,Stat. Th. 12, 437.
* With ad: ad alicujus salutem defendendam stimulari atque excitari,Cic. Planc. 28, 69: ad perturbandam rempublicam,Sall. C. 18, 4: ad arma,Liv. 1, 23, 7: ad iram,Tac. H. 2, 44.
* With in: injuriae dolor in Tarquinium eos stimulabat,Liv. 1, 40, 4: animos eorum irā in hostes stimulando,id. 21, 11, 3; cf. in a mixed construction: ad iram saepius quam in formidinem stimulabantur,Tac. H. 2, 44 fin.
* With ut or ne: vetus nostra simultas antea stimulabat me, ut caverem, etc.,Cic. Fam. 3, 12, 4: rubore stimulabantur, ne clientulorum loco numerarentur,Tac. Or. 37; Curt. 7, 7, 26.—(ε) Poet., with inf.: festinare fugam ... iterum stimulat,Verg. A. 4, 576: stimulante metu fati praenoscere cursus,Luc. 6, 423: juvencos jactare accensis stimulavi cornibus ignes,Sil. 12, 504.—(ζ) Absol.: stimulante fame,Ov. Tr. 1, 6, 9: stimulante conscientiā,Curt. 5, 11, 7: metu stimulante,id. 7, 7, 26.