Energized

How to spell energized

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce energized

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does energized mean?

1. verbGave someone fresh energy, enthusiasm, or motivation in the past.
2. adjectiveFeeling lively, enthusiastic, and full of energy.

Energized in a sentence

• verb

  The short walk and strong coffee energized her before the long meeting.

• adjective

  She felt energized after a full weekend of rest and exercise.

• verb

  The manager's clear plan energized the whole team for the new quarter.

• adjective

  The staff seemed energized and focused once the new targets were explained.

Where does energized come from?

Language of origin: Greek

The core of this word is the Greek energeia, meaning 'activity' or 'being at work', which was built from en 'in' and ergon 'work'; that same ergon root gives us 'ergonomics' and the physics unit 'erg'. Latin took up energia, and French and then English adopted it as 'energy' in the late 1500s, originally describing vigour of expression before it broadened to mean physical and mental power. The verb 'energize' was coined in English in the 1700s by adding the productive -ize ending to the noun, so it literally means 'to put energy into'. The past and participle form 'energized' simply adds -ed. The spelling trap is the unstressed middle, where the second e sounds like a faint schwa, and the choice between -ized and -ised, since British writers see both forms regularly.

How the word is built

• en- (to put into, cause to be)
• erg (work, from Greek ergon)
• -ize (verb-forming)
• -ed (past tense / participle)

British and American spelling

Energized is the American spelling. British English spells it energised.