salivate

verb

ˈsa-lə-ˌvāt How to pronounce salivate (audio)
Definition of salivatenext
as in to drool
to let saliva or some other substance flow from the mouth the dog salivated at the sight of the raw meat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of salivate For a quick refresher, Pavlov found that if dogs were repeatedly given food while a bell rang, the dogs eventually began salivating at the mere sound of the bell because their brains associated the sound with food. — Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 27 June 2026 The edit basically shows all the men repeatedly salivating over Heidi, Jenna, and Shawna. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026 These flourishes, recalling New York’s Jazz Age flamboyance, give the vast interior its fizz — and will inevitably have value engineers salivating to trim, slice, and simplify. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026 The Lewis Collection, amassed by British businessman Joe Lewis and his daughter Vivienne (who was sitting in the front as Sotheby’s), was always going to be salivated over by buyers, whatever the market conditions. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for salivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for salivate
  1. drool
  2. spit
Verb
  • Isaacs said the symptoms of heat stress or heat stroke include excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, seizures or collapse.
    — Renee Anderson, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • This golden lasagna is the perfect way to offer a vegetarian option that meat-eaters will be drooling over.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • And then there were watermelon-eating and seed-spitting contests and old fashioned sack races.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2026
  • One significant problem, however, is that red dwarfs spit out harmful torrents of radiation in fierce gusts of their stellar winds, which can strip away a planet's atmosphere.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of spit

Phrases Containing salivate

Browse Nearby Words

salivas
salivate
salivated
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Cite this Entry

“Salivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/salivate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on salivate

Nglish: Translation of salivate for Spanish Speakers

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