stimulate vs lead

stimulate is not a noun while lead is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
stimulate	No	No	Yes	No
lead	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, lead is a hyponym of stimulate; that is, lead is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than stimulate:

Other hyponyms of stimulate include decide, persuade, bring, solicit, encourage, let, inspire, instigate, prompt, suborn, compel, obligate, oblige.

stimulate (noun)	lead (noun)
	the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
	a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase `take the lead')
	a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
	thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
	restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
	the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
	an advantage held by a competitor in a race
	evidence pointing to a possible solution
	a news story of major importance
	the introductory section of a story
	an indication of potential opportunity
	(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
	an actor who plays a principal role
	(sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning
	the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
	mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
	a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey

stimulate (verb)	lead (verb)
cause to be alert and energetic	cause to undertake a certain action
act as a stimulant	preside over
provide the needed stimulus for	lead, as in the performance of a composition
cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner	travel in front of; go in advance of others
cause to occur rapidly	take somebody somewhere
stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of	move ahead (of others) in time or space
stir feelings in	be in charge of
	be conducive to
	stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
	be ahead of others; be the first
	cause something to pass or lead somewhere
	lead, extend, or afford access
	produce as a result or residue
	tend to or result in