What does electrocuted mean?
"Electrocuted" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "electrocute," meaning killed — or, in looser modern usage, severely injured — by an electric current passing through the body. Coined in the late nineteenth century from "electric" plus the ending of "execute," it entered English alongside the invention of the electric chair, which explains its grimly precise original sense: execution by electricity. Today it appears most often in news reports of industrial accidents, faulty wiring, downed power lines, and household mishaps, typically in the passive form "was electrocuted." Because its strict meaning implies death, style guides often recommend "received an electric shock" for non-fatal incidents, though informal usage tolerates both senses. It carries inherently serious, often tragic connotations and belongs to neutral, factual register rather than casual conversation.
verbElectrocuted is the past tense and past participle of "electrocute": to kill or injure someone by passing an electric current through their body.
- Killed by electric shock.
- (Looser usage) Injured or given a severe electric shock without death.
"The worker was electrocuted when he touched a live cable in the basement."
"He was electrocuted while repairing a power line during the storm."
"She was nearly electrocuted when her phone charger short-circuited near the bathtub."
The word "electrocute" was coined in the 1880s as a blend of "electric" and "execute" — literally, to execute someone with electricity — at the dawn of the electric chair.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of electrocuted
The verb "electrocute" was coined in American English in the 1880s, blending "electric" (from Greek "ēlektron," amber, via Latin) with the ending of "execute." It arose specifically to describe capital punishment using electricity, following Thomas Edison's demonstrations and the introduction of the electric chair in New York. Related words include "electricity," "electrify," and "electron," all descending from the same Greek root.
Related word forms
How electrocuted is actually used
Strictly, "electrocute" means to kill by electric shock; using it for non-fatal shocks is common informally but often flagged as imprecise. The passive voice ("was electrocuted") is by far the most common construction.
Easily confused with electrocuted
"Executed" means carried out or put to death (often legally), while "electrocuted" specifically means killed or injured by electric shock.