Dictionary

turn on en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (transitive) To set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve.
   • Turn on the tap/faucet.
2. (transitive) To power up, to put into operation, to start, to activate (an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.).
   • Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and turning it on again? Ok. Well, are you sure that it's plugged in? 2006 February 17, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, season 1, episode 4:
   • Please turn the lights on so I can see what I'm reading.
   • Please turn on automatic updates.
   • He'll turn on the charm if he thinks he's losing the sale.
   • Robins, of Torquay, had denied a single charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She claimed the microwave was accidentally turned on by one of the cats after the kitten got inside. But Knutton said the kitten was too small to even get onto the work surface. 2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in The Guardian:
3. (intransitive, of a device) To start operating; to power up, to become on.
   • My computer won't turn on.
4. (transitive) To introduce (someone to something), and especially to fill them with enthusiasm (about it); to intoxicate, give pleasure to ( + to an object of interest or excitement).
   • Attractive packaging can turn buyers on to a product.
   • Attractive showroom models can turn buyers on.
   • Hearing that song turned me on to jazz fusion.
5. (transitive) To sexually arouse.
   • John's a maid fetishist. Maid outfits really turn him on.
   • You don't have to be beautiful to turn me on / I just need your body, baby, from dusk 'til dawn 1986, Prince, “Kiss”, in Parade, performed by Prince and the Revolution:
   • You really turn me on / You knock me off of my feet / My lonely days are gone 1987, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, in Bad, performed by Michael Jackson:
   • You make me feel like I'm livin' a teenage dream / The way you turn me on, I can't sleep 2010, “Teenage Dream”, performed by Katy Perry:
6. (intransitive, slang) To take drugs.
   • "Well, they seem to always have dope up there, and I like to turn on, too." "You do?" "Sure. Cops is just people. I don't drink, so I gotta do something to get my kicks." 1971, Chuck Barnes, Revenge, Timely Books:
7. (slang, transitive) To cause to take up drugs, especially hallucinogens.
   • In fact, many youngsters will not even turn on a close friend if they know he has never used drugs. And it is rare indeed for a youth to actively seek out people to turn on. 1976, Robert H. Coombs, Lincoln J. Fry, Patricia G. Lewis, Socialization in drug abuse:
8. (transitive) To aim at.
   • Cornered by the authorities, the shooter turned the gun on himself.
   • He turned the searchlight on the passing planes.
9. (transitive) To rebel against; to suddenly attack.
   • Milk Tea Alliance: are young Thais turning on China over Hong Kong? 2020 June 14, Jitsiree Thongnoi, “Milk Tea Alliance: are young Thais turning on China over Hong Kong?”, in South China Morning Post, retrieved 16 Jun 2020:
   • Suddenly all his friends turned on him.
   • The year before, Ariana Grande's fandom, the Arianators, turned on a journalist who had called the star “a spoiled white girl”. 2025 October 25, Ludovic Hunter-Tilney, “Call yourself a fan?”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1:
   • She was Nicolas Sarkozy's pin-up for diversity, the first Muslim woman with north African parents to hold a major French government post. But Rachida Dati has now turned on her own party elite with such ferocity that some have suggested she should be expelled from the president's ruling party. 2011 December 14, Angelique Chrisafis, “Rachida Dati accuses French PM of sexism and elitism”, in Guardian:
10. (ditransitive) To cause (someone) to rebel against or suddenly attack (someone else).
    • We need to be thinking about what it means the way they are locking us up, and turning us on each other. We need to start fighting for our rights together. 1984 August 18, X-Con, “Women In Cages”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 6, page 7:
11. (intransitive) To depend upon; to pivot around, to have as a central subject.
    • The argument turned on the question of whether or not jobs would be lost.
12. (of a railroad semaphore, transitive) To lower, blocking the way and signalling that a train may not proceed.

Forms

Antonyms

turn off · turn off · shut off · turn off

Coordinates

keep on · leave on

Deriveds

turn-on · turn-on time · turn on the waterworks · turnon

Synonyms

turn against

Translations (195)

th เปิด ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ru включа́ть ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · it rivoltarsi contro (to rebel) · af aanskakel ((intransitive) to power up) · uk збуджувати (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · ky жандыруу ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · de anmachen ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fr allumer ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · pl włączyć ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · da starte (op) ((intransitive) to power up) · is setja í gang ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sh ukljúčiti ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · uk вмикати ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · el ανάβω ((intransitive) to power up) · de antörnen (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · chr ᏓᏨᏍᏔᏍᎦ ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ka ჩართვა ((intransitive) to power up) · ko 켜다 ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ru открыва́ть (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · no slå på ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · pt ligar (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · nl inschakelen ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ka ჩართვა (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · fi saada kiinnostumaan (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · ja オンする ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · cmn 打開 /打开 ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · vot avatõ (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · pt ligar ((intransitive) to power up) · km បើក ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · nl aangaan ((intransitive) to power up) · hu kinyit (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · oc alucar ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · es acenderse (disused) ((intransitive) to power up) · sv sätta på ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · da starte (op) ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · pt acender ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fi käynnistää ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · is kveikja á ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · es abrir (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · no skru på ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sl vklopiti ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fi kääntyä vastaan (to rebel) · fr se mettre en marche ((intransitive) to power up) · de geil machen (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · pt ligar ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · be уключы́ць ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · da tænde ((intransitive) to power up) · fi avata (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · nl aanzetten ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · da tænde for (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · gl acender ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · de anstellen ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sl prižgati ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · mk вклу́чува ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ko 켜지다 ((intransitive) to power up) · sh ложити (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · sv starta ((intransitive) to power up) · pl odkręcić (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · id menyala ((intransitive) to power up) · fr démarrer ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ru включи́ть (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · is skrúfa frá (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · de anmachen (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · ja 突っ掛かる (to rebel) · el ανοίγω (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · ro aprinde ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · th ติด ((intransitive) to power up) · nl opendraaien (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · sk zapnúť ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sh укљу́чити ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ar اِنْقَلَبَ عَلَى (to rebel) · aii ܡܲܠܗܹܐ ((intransitive) to power up) · de anstellen (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · pt excitar (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · sh paliti (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · fr ouvrir ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sh uključívati ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fi syttyä ((intransitive) to power up) · th เปิด (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · ca engegar ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ky күйгүзүү ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · uk збудити (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · fr mettre en marche ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ko 턴온하다 ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · tl buksan ((intransitive) to power up) · aii ܦܵܬܹܚ (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · sh укључи́вати ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · hy միացնել ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ru включа́ться ((intransitive) to power up) · tl umandar ((intransitive) to power up) · pl włączać się ((intransitive) to power up) · el ανάβω ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · es acender (disused) ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · pl włączyć się ((intransitive) to power up) · es encender ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ja ともす ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ja つく ((intransitive) to power up) · cmn 開 /开 ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · it aprire (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · ro conecta ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · mt xegħel ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · hu felkapcsol ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · id menghidupkan ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sh ložiti (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · ru завести́ (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · sv vända sig mot (to rebel) · aii ܡܲܠܗܹܐ ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · eo enŝalti ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · hi चालू करना ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · lo ເປີດ ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · el ενεργοποιώ ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fi käynnistyä ((intransitive) to power up) · sv stänga på ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ro conecta ((intransitive) to power up) · pl odkręcać (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · yi אָנצינדן ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · nl aandoen ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · el ανοίγω ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · de aufdrehen (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · pl podniecać (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · is skrúfa frá ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ga cuir ar siúl ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · nl inschakelen ((intransitive) to power up) · fi laittaa päälle ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · my ဖွင့် ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · et lahti keerama (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · ru включи́ться ((intransitive) to power up) · ru включа́ть (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · vi bật ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ca encendre ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sh напалити (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · sv sätta på (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · vec inpiar ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · zdj huuniha ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · pt abrir (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · hu bekapcsol ((intransitive) to power up) · aii ܛܲܦܹܐ ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · da tænde ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · tr açmak ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ja つける ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · my ဖွင့် (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · cs zapnout ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fr chauffer (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · ru откры́ть (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · ar شَغَّلَ ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ru заводи́ть (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · acw شغّل ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · el ανοίγω ((intransitive) to power up) · sh napaliti (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · hu beindít ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sv tända (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · de einschalten ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · vec inpiẑar ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · es encenderse ((intransitive) to power up) · th เปิด ((intransitive) to power up) · vro käändmä vallalõ (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · eu piztu ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · hy միանալ ((intransitive) to power up) · he הפעיל ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · oc encendre ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ko 턴온되다 ((intransitive) to power up) · hu bekapcsol ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · tr yakmak (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · eo aktivigi ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ru включи́ть ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ro deschide ((intransitive) to power up) · ga cuir ar siúl (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · ja スイッチを入れる ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fr ouvrir (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · lv ieslēgt ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fr s'allumer ((intransitive) to power up) · uk включати ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · id menyalakan ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · fa روشن کردن (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · af aanskakel ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sl vključiti ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sh палити (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · tl paandarin ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · aii ܡܲܦܠܸܚ ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · lt įjungti ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · af aanskakel (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · bg включвам ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sv slå på ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · he הדליק ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · sv vrida på (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · ka ჩართვა ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · es prender ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · ca obrir (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · fr emballer (to attract or arouse or fill with pleasure) · it accendere ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · be уключа́ць ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.) · he נדלק ((intransitive) to power up) · it accendersi ((intransitive) to power up) · ro deschide (to set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve) · pl włączać ((transitive) to activate an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.)