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
The story goes that a boat manufacturer complained to him about electric boats, and Trump wondered what would happen if the boat sank under the weight of the electric battery — Would passengers be electrocuted?
—Monica Potts, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2024
From embarrassing loan attempts to humorous misadventures like SZA electrocuting herself while trying to retrieve a pair of Jordans from a power line, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.
—Giana Levy, refinery29.com, 25 Oct. 2024
An El Paso, Texas, man vacationing at a private resort in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, has died after getting electrocuted in a jacuzzi on Tuesday, according to reports.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 13 June 2024
The products specifically included in this order include carbon monoxide detectors that fail to alarm, numerous children’s pajamas that could catch fire and hair dryers that could electrocute people if dropped in water.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for electrocute 
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Monica Potts, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2024
From embarrassing loan attempts to humorous misadventures like SZA electrocuting herself while trying to retrieve a pair of Jordans from a power line, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.
—Giana Levy, refinery29.com, 25 Oct. 2024
An El Paso, Texas, man vacationing at a private resort in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, has died after getting electrocuted in a jacuzzi on Tuesday, according to reports.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 13 June 2024
The products specifically included in this order include carbon monoxide detectors that fail to alarm, numerous children’s pajamas that could catch fire and hair dryers that could electrocute people if dropped in water.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for electrocute
Dictionary Entries Near electrocute
Cite this Entry
“Electrocute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrocute. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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
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