turn on
Britishverb
-
(tr, adverb) to cause (something) to operate by turning a knob, etc
to turn on the light
-
(intr, preposition) to depend or hinge on
the success of the party turns on you
-
(preposition) to change or cause to change one's attitude so as to become hostile or to retaliate
the dog turned on the children
-
informal (tr, adverb) to produce (charm, tears, etc) suddenly or automatically
-
informal to interest (someone) in something
how to turn kids on to drama
-
slang (tr, adverb) to arouse emotionally or sexually
-
slang (intr, adverb) to take or become intoxicated by drugs
-
slang (tr, adverb) to introduce (someone) to drugs
noun
-
Cause to begin the operation, flow, or activity of, as in Turn on the lights, please , or Don't turn on the sprinkler yet . [First half of 1800s]
-
Begin to display, employ, or exude, as in He turned on the charm . [Late 1800s]
-
Also, . Take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, as in The boys were excited about turning on , or They tried to get her high , or I told them I wouldn't get on tonight . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
-
Be or cause to become excited or interested, as in His mother was the first to turn him on to classical music . [c. 1900]
-
Be or become sexually aroused, as in He blushed when she asked him what turned him on . [Second half of 1900s]
-
Also, turn upon . Depend on, relate to, as in The entire plot turns on mistaken identity . This usage, first recorded in 1661, uses turn in the sense of “revolve on an axis or hinge.”
-
Also, turn upon . Attack, become hostile toward, as in Although normally friendly, the dog suddenly turned on everyone who came to the door . Also see turn against .
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.
"All the infrastructure is there, all the wells are drilled, it's ready to turn on," said Matt Cooper, senior vice president at energy consultancy Rystad Energy.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
When it’s after 9 p.m., it’s time to turn on her dishwasher and crank up her air conditioner to cool down the Houston nights.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026
The case took a drastic turn on 17 September after Saudi prosecutors filed an appeal for Anojan to be prosecuted under Sharia law instead of the country's cybercrime legislation.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
What’s more, reliable second-stringers no longer sit around and wait their turn on the depth chart when there is money to be made elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
"You really should take your turn on the market trips, my friends. So many interesting things to see and useful things to trade for."
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
