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 noun

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of turn on was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near turn on

Cite this Entry

“Turn on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20on. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on turn on

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