live wire

American  

[lahyv] / laɪv /

noun

Informal.

• live wires
  plural

1. an energetic, keenly alert person.

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live wire British  

/ laɪv /

noun

1. informal an energetic or enterprising person

2. a wire carrying an electric current

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live wire Idioms  

1. A highly alert or energetic person. For example, Sally's a real live wire; she brightens up any gathering. This metaphoric term transfers a wire carrying electric current to a lively individual. [c. 1900]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• live wires
  plural

Etymology

Origin of live wire

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

live wire

Underneath the quiet sits a live wire: the “Magnificent Seven,” nearly left for dead after a punishing first half of 2026, but quietly coming back to life in the past two weeks.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 19, 2026

Tessa makes for a captivating protagonist, one who is resourceful and resilient, sardonic and defiant: “A live wire, always throwing off sparks,” in the words of one character.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

I preferred being “that girl who owns that shop” instead of “that girl whose shop ended up closing,” and who felt like a failing live wire because of it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2024

The power to the pylon should have been switched off while the work was carried out because it was impossible to maintain a safe working distance from the live wire, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2024

The only way the van’s atmosphere could have electrified faster was if I had thrown a live wire into a full bathtub.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken