live wire

/ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)/

live wire noun: an electrical wire through which there is a flow of electrical current.

Noun

live wire (plural live wires)

An electrical wire through which there is a flow of electrical current.
- Two boys got electrocuted when a live wire fell on the auto-rickshaw in which they were sitting.2006 September 27, “Two boys electrocuted”, in The Hindu, India, retrieved 24 Dec 2008
(figuratively) An especially energetic, alert, or vivacious person.
- With his thin, eager face and darting hands he was more than a live wire - he was a whole bundle of live wires.1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Which Describes an Evening in Strange Company”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019
- Mr. Black is a kindly, gentle, fine individual, but as a leader, an up-to-date fellow, a go-getter—why he just doesn't know the first thing about it. . . . In a growing community like Douglaston we need a live wire.1927 December 19, “Will Not Go”, in Time
Synonyms:

go-getter, life of the party, self-starter

உயிர்க்கம்பி, மின்னூட்டக் கம்பி

energetic person, fireball, human dynamo: ഊർജ്ജസ്വലൻ, ഉത്സാഹവാൻ, ചുറുചുറുക്കുള്ളയാൾ, ജീവൻ, ആത്മാവ്, ഊർജ്ജ്വസി

I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire / Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire1977, “Psycho Killer”, in Talking Heads: 77, performed by Talking Heads:
She was irresistible—a laughing, chattering live wire, never at a loss for a word.2007, Charlaine Harris, Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, →ISBN, page 95:

What does live wire mean?: Live wire means an electrical wire through which there is a flow of electrical current.
What is live wire in Tamil?: Live wire in Tamil is உயிர்க்கம்பி, மின்னூட்டக் கம்பி. See Live wire meaning in Tamil.
How do you use live wire in a sentence?: I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire / Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire
What part of speech is live wire?: Live wire is a noun.
How do you pronounce live wire?: Live wire is pronounced /ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)/.
What is the plural of live wire?: The plural of live wire is live wires.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-live wire.ogg.

Cite this entry: “live wire.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/live_wire. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.