electrify

verb

elec·​tri·​fy i-ˈlek-trə-ˌfī 

ē-

electrified; electrifying

transitive verb

1

a

: to charge with electricity

b(1)

: to equip for use of electric power

(2)

: to supply with electric power

(3)

: to amplify (music) electronically

2

: to excite intensely or suddenly

the news electrified the nation

Synonyms of electrify

• excite
• thrill

Examples of electrify in a Sentence

Many of the rural areas still aren't electrified.

The news electrified the nation.

Recent Examples on the Web

He was born to an unwed teenage mom in Greenville, South Carolina, during the Jim Crow era but rose to become a civil rights icon and a groundbreaking politician who mounted two electrifying runs for the presidency in the 1980s. —John Blake, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026

White describes Stephen in that instant as almost electrified by the realization. —Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026

Suddenly, Duvall’s talent seemed not just brilliant but darkly electrifying, cut from the same volatile ’70s cloth as that of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. —Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026

The result is an atmospheric, electrifying documentary and a moving testament to the importance of remembering. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for electrify

• acidify
• alveoli
• areolae
• demystify
• detoxify
• disqualify
• diversify
• exemplify
• fasciculi
• identify
• indemnify
• intensify

Kids Definition

electrify

verb

elec·​tri·​fy i-ˈlek-trə-ˌfī 

electrified; electrifying

1

a

: to charge with electricity

b

: to equip for use of electric power or supply with electric power

2

: to cause to feel great or sudden excitement : thrill

electrified the audience

electrification

-ˌlek-trə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun