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

Police conducted the sting in response to more than 100 calls for service this year involving minors riding electric bikes and motorcycles in an unsafe manner, according to the district attorney’s office. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

At what point should these electric bikes be considered motorcycles and not bicycles? — Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Watch groups of teenagers on scooters and electric bikes weave through pedestrians. — Jonathan Beaton, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026

Its extended saddle also makes the Ranger an ideal two-seater electric bike, giving friends, couples, or family members the opportunity to enjoy the ride together. — New Atlas, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for electric bike

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