excite

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An exciting thing happens when you do or see something that gets your attention and makes you feel interested.

The word "excite" has several uses, but they all generally mean to make someone or something feel more energetic or alert. When we say that a concert is going to excite the crowd, we mean it's going to get them pumped up and enthusiastic. On the other hand, if you're feeling bored and then see something exciting happen, you might say you were excited by what you saw. In business, a new product launch can be said to have excited investors because it's generated interest and energy among them.

How common is "excite"?

Word excite is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

(transitive) To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.
Example: The fireworks which opened the festivities excited anyone present.
(transitive) To arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate.
Example: Favoritism tends to excite jealousy in the ones not being favored.
(transitive, physics) To cause an electron to move to a higher than normal state; to promote an electron to an outer level.
Example: By applying electric potential to the neon atoms, the electrons become excited, then emit a photon when returning to normal.
To energize (an electromagnet); to produce a magnetic field in.
Example: to excite a dynamo