Synonyms

galvanize

American

[gal-vuh-nahyz] / ˈgæl vəˌnaɪz /

especially British, galvanise

verb (used with object)

galvanized, galvanizing

to stimulate by or as if by a galvanic current.
Medicine/Medical. to stimulate or treat (muscles or nerves) with induced direct current (faradize ).
to startle into sudden activity; stimulate.

Synonyms:

animate, spur, fire, electrify, stir, rouse
to coat (metal, especially iron or steel) with zinc.

galvanize British

/ ˈɡælvəˌnaɪz /

verb

to stimulate to action; excite; startle
to cover (iron, steel, etc) with a protective zinc coating by dipping into molten zinc or by electrodeposition
to stimulate by application of an electric current

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

galvanized iron, usually in the form of corrugated sheets as used in roofing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

galvanization noun
galvanizer noun
nongalvanized adjective
pregalvanize verb (used with object)
regalvanization noun
regalvanize verb (used with object)
ungalvanized adjective

Etymology

Origin of galvanize

First recorded in 1795–1805; from French galvaniser, named after Luigi Galvani; -ize

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.

The accident, which spawned congressional hearings, litigation and a criminal probe, galvanized opponents of nuclear power.

From The Wall Street Journal

She was re-elected to Congress in 1941 and argued against America joining the fight in World War II. But the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor later that year galvanized the country.

From The Wall Street Journal

The galvanizing anthem, written for the film by Stephen Schwartz, was a technical and emotional feat.

From Los Angeles Times

“North” was a galvanizing book for its bog poems as well as sequences such as “Singing School” and “Whatever You Say Say Nothing”:

From The Wall Street Journal

Here are some moments that galvanized the Dodgers’ run to another World Series triumph.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023