turn on
/tɜːn ɒn/ IELTSAcademic
verb
- 1.
To start a machine, light, device, or system so it begins working or shining.
- Please turn on the fan.
- She turned on the lights.
- Turn on your laptop now.
- 2.
To make someone feel sexually interested in another person or thing. This use is informal.
- That song really turns me on.
- He said confidence turns her on.
- Strong perfume can turn some people on.
Adinary Nuance
Turn on is more common than switch on in everyday English, especially in spoken British English. Switch on feels a little more deliberate or technical, but both can mean to start a device. For feelings, turn on is much stronger and more informal than attract or interest.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bật lên
- Spanish
- encender
- Chinese
- 打开
- Japanese
- つける
- Korean
- 켜다
Etymology
Turn on is a phrasal verb built from the common verb turn and the particle on. It became very common in modern English for starting devices and, later, for the informal sexual meaning.
Common phrases
turn on the lightsturn on the TVturn on the engineturn on someone
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is turn on the same as switch on?
- Yes, in device meanings they are very close. Turn on is more common in everyday speech.
- Is turn on formal or informal?
- For machines, it is neutral and common. For sexual interest, it is informal and can sound rude in some situations.
- Can I say turn on a person?
- Yes, but only in the sexual sense. In ordinary conversation, it can sound too direct.
- What is the opposite of turn on?
- The opposite is usually turn off.