electrocute

verb

elec·​tro·​cute i-ˈlek-trə-ˌkyüt 

electrocuted; electrocuting

transitive verb

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

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

On Thursday, that became Mateo’s last act when he was electrocuted while hanging up the lights on a roof in an unincorporated area of Escondido. —Kristen Taketa, The Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2024

Man installing Christmas lights in Escondido dies after being electrocuted. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024

Around 2013, Greer recalls a case where a U.K. consumer died after being electrocuted from a knockoff Apple charger. —Annie Palmer,katie Tarasov, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2024

Brazilian rock singer Ayres Sasaki was electrocuted last week during a live performance in Brazil The musician died instantly after reportedly hugging a soaking-wet fan during a concert on July 13 at the Solar Hotel in Salinopolis. —Bruce Haring, Deadline, 20 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

electr- + -cute (as in execute)

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids 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

electrocution

-ˌlek-trə-ˈkyü-shən 

noun

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

electrocution

-ˌlek-trə-ˈkyü-shən 

noun

Legal Definition

electrocute

transitive verb

elec·​tro·​cute

electrocuted; electrocuting

: to execute (a convicted criminal) by electricity

electrocution noun

Etymology

electro-, combining form meaning “electric” + execute