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

The person hit in March 2024 is far from the only person to be in an electric bike or scooter crash in the Treasure Valley. —Idaho Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026

Rent classic bikes at the WaterColor Bike Barn or one of many rental agencies up and down the highway; or go for an easy-breezy electric bike from Pedego Electric Bikes to roll across the sand or the streets with no problem. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2026

Depending on the type, electric bikes can reach speeds of more than 20 mph before the electric motor turns off. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026

Only regular bicycles and Class 1 and 2 electric bikes are permitted. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026

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