'nonstimulating' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') attached to 'stimulating', which comes from Latin 'stimulare' meaning 'to goad or incite'.

'stimulate' comes from Latin 'stimulare' (to goad) and passed into English via Medieval and New Latin forms; 'stimulate' entered English usage in the early modern period and 'non-' has long been used in English to create negative adjectives, producing 'nonstimulating' as a straightforward negated form.

Initially, the root 'stimulare' meant 'to prick or urge on' (a physical goad); over time it broadened to mean 'to arouse or encourage' (interest, activity, or physiological response). 'Nonstimulating' therefore evolved to mean 'not arousing or encouraging' in both mental and physiological senses.