recharge
Americanverb (used with object)
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to charge again with electricity.
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Informal. to refresh or restore; revitalize.
verb (used without object)
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to make a new charge, especially to attack again.
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Informal. to revive or restore energy, stamina, enthusiasm, etc.
noun
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an act or instance of recharging.
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Geology. the processes by which groundwater is absorbed into the zone of saturation.
verb
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to cause (an accumulator, capacitor, etc) to take up and store electricity again
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to revive or renew (one's energies) (esp in recharge one's batteries )
Other Word Forms
- rechargeable adjective
- recharger noun
Etymology
Origin of recharge
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: “to reload (a vessel)”; 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."
Vocabulary lists containing recharge
Earth Science - Middle School
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Earth Science - High School
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Earth Science - Introductory
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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.
They can travel around 40 nautical miles at 25 knots before they need an hour to fully recharge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
She had come to the park alone to "to be around people, recharge and feel better".
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
After trying to sell more products itself over recent years, Nike has tried to work more with retail chains to recharge sales growth.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
“I think people are really embracing this idea that even brief changes of scenery can really recharge you, your mind and spirit.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
Who’d taught her how to recharge her batteries in nature.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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.
