turn on

verb

turned on; turning on; turns on

transitive verb

1

: to activate or cause to flow, operate, or function by or as if by turning a control

turn the water on full

turn on the power

2

a

: to move pleasurably

rock music turns her on

also : to excite sexually

b

: to cause to gain knowledge or appreciation of something specified

turned her on to ballet

c

: to cause to undergo an intense often visionary experience by taking a drug

broadly : to cause to get high

intransitive verb

: to become turned on

turn-on

ˈtərn-ˌȯn 

-ˌän

noun

Synonyms

• charge
• electrify
• excite
• exhilarate
• galvanize
• intoxicate
• pump up
• thrill
• titillate

Examples of turn on in a Sentence

unsurprisingly, the fanboys were turned on by the movie's amazing special effects and slam-bang plot

would you turn on the TV?

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

turn on

verb

(ˈ)tər-ˈnȯn,

-ˈnän

1

: to cause to work by or as if by turning a control

turn the water on

turn on the computer

2

: to cause interest or enjoyment

the kind of music that turns me on

turn-on noun