electrocute
verb
elec·tro·cute
i-ˈlek-trə-ˌkyüt 
electrocuted; electrocuting
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
James RisenBut 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
Popular ScienceHe 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
Robert I. Friedman2
: 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
Scott Christianson
electrocution
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
Laura Colby
In 1982, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection or electrocution.
—Lola Ogunnaike
Lola Ogunnaike
Examples of electrocute in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to county officials, eight adults and 12 children were electrocuted when lightning struck Lake Murray at Dominion Beach Park.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
Thankfully, there were no fatalities, but 12 children and eight adults were electrocuted by the lightning strike at a public park near the lake.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Cause of death: There are several causes of death because Ulric receives the nine lives of a cat: shot in the head, drowned, hanged, car crash, electrocuted, crossbow, stabbed, suffocated after burying himself alive.
Sad or satisfying?
—Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 19 May 2025
Starting in August 1943, zoo staff shot, electrocuted, stabbed and strangled more than 20 animals, including a polar bear, an American bison, a python and a leopard cub.
—John M. Kinder, The Conversation, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for electrocute
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
Thankfully, there were no fatalities, but 12 children and eight adults were electrocuted by the lightning strike at a public park near the lake.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Cause of death: There are several causes of death because Ulric receives the nine lives of a cat: shot in the head, drowned, hanged, car crash, electrocuted, crossbow, stabbed, suffocated after burying himself alive.
Sad or satisfying?
—Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 19 May 2025
Starting in August 1943, zoo staff shot, electrocuted, stabbed and strangled more than 20 animals, including a polar bear, an American bison, a python and a leopard cub.
—John M. Kinder, The Conversation, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for electrocute
Cite this Entry
“Electrocute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrocute. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
electrocute
verb
elec·tro·cute
i-ˈlek-trə-ˌkyüt
electrocuted; electrocuting
1
: to execute (a criminal) by electricity
2
: to kill or injure by electric shock
Medical Definition
electrocute
transitive verb
elec·tro·cute
i-ˈlek-trə-ˌkyüt
electrocuted; electrocuting
1
: to kill or severely injure by electric shock
2
: to execute (a criminal) by electricity
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share