electrocute
Americanverb (used with object)
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to kill by electricity.
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to execute (a criminal) by electricity, as in an electric chair.
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to pass an electric current through; shock.
The toaster burned my toast and then electrocuted me when I tried to unplug it.
verb
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to kill as a result of an electric shock
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to execute in the electric chair
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of electrocute
An Americanism first recorded in 1885–90; electro- + (exe)cute
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Myers said he worries the high-voltage lines could spark wildfires or electrocute people operating farm machinery nearby.
From Salon • Aug. 17, 2025
“Because you may, as a result, electrocute people working in the area,” such as crews restoring downed power lines, he said.
From Seattle Times • May 17, 2024
It starts with a spark, created from an organ called a skein that previously lay dormant, that gives girls, and then women, the power to electrocute at will.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2023
The Los Angeles Chargers, for example, were fortunate this year that their entire rookie draft class didn’t electrocute themselves while logging onto Zoom meetings.
From New York Times • Sep. 23, 2020
Perhaps if I shifted my body about so that the two nodes would come together—No, not only was there no room but it might electrocute me.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
