charged

adjective

ˈchärjd 

1

: possessing or showing strong emotion

attacked the author in a highly charged review

2

: capable of arousing strong emotion

a politically charged subject

also : exciting

a highly charged palette of bold colors

3

: having an amount of electricity

charged particles

Synonyms

• breathtaking
• electric
• electrifying
• exciting
• exhilarating
• exhilarative
• galvanic
• galvanizing
• hair-raising
• heart-stopping
• inspiring
• intoxicating
• kicky
• mind-bending
• mind-blowing
• mind-boggling
• rip-roaring
• rousing
• stimulating
• stirring
• thrilling

Examples of charged in a Sentence

The singer gave an emotionally charged interview.

an abstract expressionist who uses a palette of charged colors to great effect

Recent Examples on the Web

For context, geomagnetic storms are caused by fiery eruptions from the sun's surface that send charged particles zipping toward our planet. —Tom Brown, Space.com, 20 May 2025

The ceremony came at a charged moment, coinciding with Columbia University canceling its graduation ceremony (and largely closing off its campus). —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 6 May 2024

Of course, genocide is a charged and redolent term, recalling the systematic precision of the Holocaust and the society-wide butchery of the Rwandan genocide. —Kristina Hook, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2022

If the politically charged and educationally dubious material at a recent major conference for educators is any indication, then the answer is no. —Daniel Buck, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of charge entry 1

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing charged

• guilty as charged
• hyper-charged

Rhymes for charged

• discharged
• enlarged
• recharged
• surcharged
• uncharged
• barged
• overcharged
• supercharged
• turbocharged
• undischarged

Kids Definition

charged

adjective

ˈchärjd 

: showing or able to cause strong feelings

an emotionally charged subject