What does wired mean?
Wired is an adjective with both technical and informal meanings. Its literal sense describes something connected by, equipped with, or arranged using wires, as in a wired building or a device wired to a power supply. In everyday English, however, 'wired' usually describes a person who is intensely alert, excited, energetic, or nervous. It can also indicate that someone is especially interested in a topic: a child who is wired for astronomy. The word may function as the past tense and past participle of 'wire,' meaning to connect something with wires or install electrical wiring. Across these uses, wired conveys a sense of active connection: literal connection in technology and heightened mental or emotional activation in people. The informal senses are especially associated with contemporary speech, while the technical meanings remain standard in engineering, telecommunications, and electronics.
Connected by or equipped with wires; colloquially, extremely excited, energetic, alert, or tense.
"The speakers were wired for an outdoor concert, and the whole audience danced for hours."
The physical-electrical sense is formal and technical; the emotional senses are informal and common in conversation.
The past tense and past participle of 'wire,' meaning to connect or equip with wires.
"The technician wired the new camera into the building's security system."
This form is standard in electrical, construction, and telecommunications contexts.
From a practical connection to a human state of nervous energy, 'wired' turns a simple piece of technology into a vivid description of modern excitement.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wired come from?
The adjective and participial forms come from the older English word 'wire,' which is attested in Germanic languages and ultimately belongs to a Germanic root associated with metal wire or thread. 'Wired' originally referred to being connected or furnished with wire, and its electrical and telecommunications uses developed naturally from that physical sense. The informal meanings of being highly excited or tense are later extensions that compare an alert or overstimulated person to an electrically energized circuit.
Related word forms
How wired is actually used
The adjective is formal and technical when it refers to physical connections, while the senses meaning excited or tense are informal and especially common in speech. In modern usage, 'wired' can suggest intense stimulation rather than simply happiness, and 'wired for' often means ready or prepared for something.
Easily confused with wired
Wired means connected by wires or, informally, highly energized or tense, whereas weird means strange or unusual.