The adjective from 'titillate': describing something that gives a small, teasing thrill, usually a sexual one. A titillating photograph, a titillating detail in a court report, a titillating rumour about a famous person. What makes something titillating is that it suggests rather than shows — it leaves the interesting part just out of sight, so the reader's mind finishes the picture. The word almost always carries a mild sneer. Calling an article titillating says it is feeding curiosity of a low kind; calling a film titillating says it is using sex to hold your attention because it has nothing else. It belongs to journalism and reviews, not to everyday conversation, and you would not use it to compliment someone. The older, non-sexual use survives in food and comedy writing — a titillating flavour, a titillating hint of scandal — where it just means pleasantly stimulating.