electrocute

verb

elec·tro·cute | \ i-ˈlek-trə-ˌkyüt

electrocuted; electrocuting

Definition of electrocute

1 : to kill or severely injure by electric shock Because of flawed electrical work by contractors, the bulletin stated, soldiers at U.S. bases in Iraq had received severe electrical shocks, and some had even been electrocuted.— James Risen But if a power outage occurs, the PV [photovoltaic] system has to shut down or it could electrocute utility workers who think they're working on dead lines. — Popular Science He was working on Pier 38 on the West Side of Manhattan when he was accidently electrocuted by a high-voltage wire. He suffered second- and third-degree burns and had to undergo painful skin grafts.— Robert I. Friedman

2 : to execute (a criminal) by electricity Two of the big fish, Emanuel (Mendy) Weiss and Louis Capone, ultimately were convicted and electrocuted with the boss himself …— Scott Christianson

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Other Words from electrocute

electrocution \ i-ˌlek-trə-ˈkyü-shən

\ noun

Last year, we spent our vacation in a rustic cabin in Burgundy, where we … risked electrocution every time we recharged our laptop using the cabin's rustic, non-grounded electrical outlets. — Laura Colby In 1982, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection or electrocution. — Lola Ogunnaike

Examples of electrocute in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The young men jumped in to rescue the dog but were electrocuted after trying to get out. — Nick Sestanovich, The Mercury News, "New lawsuits claim ‘bypassed’ safety device to blame for electrocution of Two North Bay teens," 23 June 2019 Niraj Mishra, a sub-divisional magistrate of Barmer district, told Reuters that some people died after being electrocuted by live electricity wires as the tent collapsed, while others were hit by falling debris. — Fox News, "Tent collapses amid thunderstorm, heavy rain killing at least 14, injuring 50 in India," 24 June 2019 The Solano County Sheriff’s Office advised that witnesses reported that the two boys were unable to release their grip from the bridge upon being electrocuted. — Nick Sestanovich, The Mercury News, "New lawsuits claim ‘bypassed’ safety device to blame for electrocution of Two North Bay teens," 23 June 2019 In 1944, George Stinney, a 14-year-old black youth, was electrocuted by the state of South Carolina for the murders of two white girls, Betty June Binnicker, 11, and Mary Emma Thames, 7. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 16 June 2019 One guard narrowly missed being electrocuted by a group of inmates and police were never told. — Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Urgency to close Lincoln Hills youth prison fades as costs — and concerns — mount," 14 June 2019 There’s also a subplot about rat robots that can electrocute you. — Rachel Paige, refinery29.com, "Your One-Stop Guide To The New Black Mirror Season 5 Episodes," 5 June 2019 Some died of hypothermia, burned to death while huddling near a hot plate for warmth, or were electrocuted by the third rail. — William Mcgurn, WSJ, "The Idea That Made America’s Cities Safer," 29 Dec. 2018 Train personnel got one brother down safely, but 24-year-old Michael Vigeant of Hudson, NH, touched a catenary wire and was electrocuted, said MTA officials. — Fox News, "Red Sox fan electrocuted after trying to train surf from Yankee Stadium," 21 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electrocute.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.