electric bike

noun

variants or e-bike

ˈē-ˌbīk 

or electric bicycle

plural electric bikes or e-bikes or electric bicycles

: a bicycle equipped with an electric motor that may be activated in order to assist with or replace pedaling

Just like any bike, electric bikes come with a ton of different technical specs that you may or may not care about.

—Adrienne So

For many years, e-bikes carried the stigma of being vehicles for lazy pedalers and seniors. The bikes draw power from a battery and motor to make pedaling significantly easier. You can also accelerate with the press of a button, transforming cycling from a strenuous exercise into a joy ride.

—Brian X. Chen

Examples of electric bike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More electric bike than motorbike, the Hypershell Ultra X senses when a person is walking or running, then applying assistive power with each step, rather than attempting to force resting legs into movement. —Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

In the video, a group of youths is seen riding electric bikes on Draper Avenue near Gravilla Street in front of Starkey Park, screaming and honking their horns loudly. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025

But beyond that, electric bikes that have batteries with more than 750 watts are considered motor vehicles as defined by state law. —Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025

According to a criminal complaint, LaSpisa said Borgwardt had actually used a small inflatable boat to return to shore and an electric bike to ride to Madison. —Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for electric bike

• statesmanlike
• unladylike
• alike
• belike
• birdlike
• catlike
• childlike
• christlike
• deathlike
• dislike
• dreamlike
• friedreich