plugged-in
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does plugged-in mean? If you're plugged-in, you're in the know, in touch with what is going on, and very well-informed. You can also be so plugged in to a task, usually a technological one, to the point where you shut everything else out.
Etymology
Origin of plugged-in
1955–60, for literal sense
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.
“I just plugged in the numbers I was supposed to plug in,” she said in a lawsuit deposition.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
They simply plugged in the numbers they could easily find, fudged the rest and threw it on a poster board.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
The house was unlocked, the ironing board was out, the hoover plugged in, washing was hanging on the line outside, the medication she needed for Crohn's disease had been left behind.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
But let’s address your actual question, which is: If everyone wants to unplug, why are they still plugged in?
From MarketWatch • Oct. 17, 2025
She dug in a suitcase pocket and pulled out a charger, then crossed to an area with outlets and plugged in the phone.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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.
