Meaning of turn on in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    US accent

    UK accent

  1. Verb

    turn on

    Definitions

    1. cause to operate by flipping a switch

    Examples

    • « switch on the light »
    • « turn on the stereo »

    Antonyms

  2. 2. be contingent on

    Examples

    • « The outcomes rides on the results of the electin »
    • « Your grade will depends on your homework »
  3. 3. produce suddenly or automatically

    Examples

    • « Turn on the charm »
    • « turn on the waterworks »
  4. 4. become hostile towards

    Examples

    • « The dog suddenly turned on the mailman »
  5. 5. cause to be agitated, excited, or roused

    Examples

    • « The speaker charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks »

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

  6. 6. stimulate sexually

    Examples

    • « This movie usually arouses the male audience »

    Derived terms

  7. 7. get high, stoned, or drugged

    Examples

    • « He trips every weekend »

    Derived terms

Famous quotes

  • « You don't have to turn on the TV set. You don't have to work on the Internet. It's up to you. »
    Ray Bradbury
  • « I'm a light sleeper. I've never been one of those people who can put their head down and suddenly everything disappears. Nighttime is the time I get most scared, anxious or worried. In those darker moments before waking or sleeping is when I feel most, I don't know, I can turn on myself, and my imagination can take me dark places. »
    Florence Welch
  • « People are funny, and in the most tragic situations, when comedy erupts from nowhere, it can turn on its head within the space of a second or a minute. You're laughing one minute and you're crying the next and that's just life for me, and that is what people are like. »
    Sally Hawkins
  • « What's so touching is the way we fight the war right until the moment our business is taken care of and then we turn on a dime and we immediately start taking care of people. It's like a shock and aw shucks campaign. »
    Dennis Miller
  • « I have a 6-year-old, and his thing is to turn on Radio Disney in the car, and I get such an allergic reaction to listening to that music and the context into which it falls. I'm really working on him about that. »
    Aimee Mann

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