recharge

American  

[ree-chahrj, ree-chahrj, ree-chahrj] / riˈtʃɑrdʒ, riˈtʃɑrdʒ, ˈriˌtʃɑrdʒ /

verb (used with object)

• recharges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• recharged,
  past participle,  past
• recharging
  present participle

1. to charge again with electricity.

2. Informal. to refresh or restore; revitalize.

---

verb (used without object)

• recharges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• recharged,
  past participle,  past
• recharging
  present participle

1. to make a new charge, especially to attack again.

2. Informal. to revive or restore energy, stamina, enthusiasm, etc.

noun

• recharges
  plural

1. an act or instance of recharging.

2. Geology. the processes by which groundwater is absorbed into the zone of saturation.

recharge British  

/ riːˈtʃɑːdʒ /

verb

1. to cause (an accumulator, capacitor, etc) to take up and store electricity again

2. to revive or renew (one's energies) (esp in recharge one's batteries )

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• recharger
  noun
• rechargeable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• recharges
  plural

Participles

• recharging
  present
• recharged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• recharge
  simple
• recharges
  simple
• have recharged
  perfect
• has recharged
  perfect
• am recharging
  progressive
• are recharging
  progressive
• is recharging
  progressive
• have been recharging
  perfect progressive
• has been recharging
  perfect progressive

Past

• recharged
  simple
• had recharged
  perfect
• was recharging
  progressive
• were recharging
  progressive
• had been recharging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will recharge
  simple
• will have recharged
  perfect
• will be recharging
  progressive
• will have been recharging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of recharge

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: “to reload (a vessel)”; see re-, charge

Explanation

When you recharge something, you bring it back to life or reenergize it. You might charge your cell phone in the morning and then recharge it later in the day. If you can charge your electronics (or provide them with electrical energy), you can also recharge them when that energy is depleted. In addition to your camera battery and laptop, sometimes you need to recharge yourself, or take a break so you can become energized again. Less commonly, recharge is used to mean "refill a glass," and the original meaning, in the fifteenth century, was "to reload a vessel."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

recharge recharges recharged recharging

These cables, sometimes included with your car from the manufacturer, allow you to draw a charge from another battery or vehicle and recharge your battery enough to turn the starter.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Intense rainfall may fall in the wrong locations, run off too quickly, or fail to recharge the systems that sustain the lakes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

Attendees were increasingly looking for experiences that were not just about partying but where they could "recharge and reconnect" with their wellbeing, organisers said.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Then it could recharge the cars battery as you travel and when you park.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

For the past two sols, the batteries have taken longer to recharge.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

At lower speeds, as in city traffic, you begin to hear the engine’s whispered revving in the perceptual background as it simultaneously propels the car and recharges the 22.7-kWh battery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

That includes “extended range electric vehicles,” battery-powered cars that have an onboard generator, running on gas, that recharges batteries on the fly.

From Barron's ● Dec. 15, 2025

Regenerative braking in EVs, which recharges the battery, does not involve friction.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2025

The wetland attracts birds, such as coots and tricolored blackbirds, and also recharges the aquifer that the roots of cottonwoods and willows tap into.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2024

The man who enjoys his work requires less time for recreation and exercise, for his enjoyment recharges the storage battery of energy.

From Increasing Human Efficiency in Business, a contribution to the psychology of business by Walter Dill Scott

"It stores sunlight, and it can be recharged."

From Science Daily ● May 15, 2026

In nine minutes, it can be almost fully recharged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

He was taking a class on air conditioning systems, and his vehicle’s AC needed to be recharged.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2026

Nicola Shaw, chief executive of Yorkshire Water, told BBC 5 Live said: "I expect it to last until the winter as that is when the reservoirs will have recharged."

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2025

On land, her battery recharged whenever she was in sunlight.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

The second sector - of which Pouhon is the highlight - is used for recharging so the battery is full again for the long run from Stavelot to the final chicane.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

At the maximum charging rate of 200 kW, recharging from 10-80% times out at 30 minutes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026

Other agencies are recharging aquifers at dozens of sites across California and are building more facilities to replenish groundwater.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2026

The distance that electric trucks can travel without recharging can be drastically cut when towing heavy loads or operating in less ideal conditions, such as cold weather.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 29, 2025

Looks like power and battery recharging are solved.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• refresh
• regenerate
• rejuvenate