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
In another iconic scene in said brownstone, Stern’s Marv is electrocuted.
—Scarlett Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
How about suing the manufacturer of a hair dryer that electrocutes someone using it in a shower?
— Frank Mitchell, Havre de Grace
Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for electrocute 
Scarlett Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
How about suing the manufacturer of a hair dryer that electrocutes someone using it in a shower?
— Frank Mitchell, Havre de Grace
Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for electrocute
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'electrocute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near electrocute
Cite this Entry
“Electrocute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrocute. Accessed 1 Jun. 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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