The word 兴奋剂 is formed by combining the characters 兴, meaning "rise" or "prosper", and 奋, meaning "strive" or "exert", which together create the compound 兴奋, conveying "excitement" or "stimulation". This is then combined with 剂, meaning "agent" or "substance", to form a term that literally means "excitement agent", specifically referring to stimulant drugs or doping substances.