English · Culture & Society
galvanize
/ˈɡæl.və.naɪz/
[/ˈɡæl.və.naɪz/]
to spur into action
Advancedverb
Definition
To galvanize is to shock or excite people into taking sudden action. A powerful speech can galvanize a crowd.
Example
The tragedy galvanized the community to act.
The tragedy galvanized the community to act.
Etymology
Named after Luigi Galvani, who studied electricity in animal tissue.
How & Where It’s Used
Used for rousing people into energetic, collective action.