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.

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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 )

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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

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Etymology

Origin of recharge

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

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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

Shortly afterwards, the 25-year-old announced she was bringing a largely barren season to a close, in order to recharge over a longer period of time before returning in 2027.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

So it’s understandable they would need to recharge by getting away from Washington from time to time.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

The Semi comes in two versions, Standard Range and Long Range, with the latter able to travel about 500 miles before needing to recharge its battery.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Rain watered crops, and soaked in to recharge the groundwater that hydrated the city — something that can’t happen now, when something like 40% of the city is covered over, impermeable to rain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

I plugged in my phone for a recharge, and two texts from Angela popped up.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

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

If blooms begin lagging halfway through the bloom season, an additional feed recharges flowering.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 27, 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

Instead, it reveals how a magma reservoir can be recharged over thousands of years, an important process that scientists need to understand before they can reliably assess the long-term behavior of supervolcanoes.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

This year, drought has not developed as quickly because heavy rainfall recharged our aquifers, rivers and reservoirs during a very wet autumn and winter.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● May 15, 2026

These signature rings are only as powerful as the will of the wearer and periodically need to be recharged.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

“Yeah, I guess—maybe it needed to get recharged or something. I don’t know.”

From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner

Besides his unconventional path to becoming a Green Lantern, Stewart is in possession of a unique lantern for recharging his ring that was forged by Sinestro, Jordan’s disgraced mentor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Porsche quotes a minimum recharging time of 16 minutes, from 10-80% capacity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 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

Eating out is an experience he values, a way of recharging mentally after stetches of demanding care work.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

"The current plan already has him recharging all day long," Venkat explained.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

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Related Words

• refresh
• regenerate
• rejuvenate

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