Arouse or rouse?

Rouse and arouse are both used in formal contexts. Arouse means ‘make someone have a particular feeling’:

Both lecturers aroused a lot of interest in the subject of geology.

Rouse means ‘wake someone up’ or ‘make someone active’:

The goal roused the supporters and they began to really get behind the team. (get behind means ‘support’)

We also use rouse as a reflexive verb:

She finally roused herself at lunchtime and got out of bed.

• keenlier
• keenliest
• keenly
• keenness
• keennesses
• keen on
• keen-on
• keens
• keen-to-do
• keen to do
• keen to do something
• keen to do sth
• keep
• keep-abreast-of
• keep abreast of
• keep abreast of something
• keep abreast of sth
• keep a check on
• keep-a-check-on
• keep a check on something
• keep a check on sth
• keep-a-civil-tongue-in-head
• keep a civil tongue in your head
• keep-a-clean-sheet
• keep a clean sheet