charge
Other forms: charged; charges; charging
Charge can mean electricity received, as in the shock you’d feel if you put your finger in a wall socket. Charge is also what you do when you use your credit card instead of cash. Shopping can be electrifying too.
Charge has many meanings. Charge is what a cavalry does when it rushes towards enemy lines. A charge is also the cost of something. When you are “in charge,” it means that you are in command of everything. And when you are “in charge of,” it means that you have a specific responsibility. And when you are excited about something, you “get a charge out of it.” If you like power, you might get a charge out of being in charge.
Definitions of charge
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assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to“She was charged with supervising the creation of a concordance”synonyms: appointtypes:assign, delegate, depute, designategive an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person)accreditprovide or send (envoys or embassadors) with official credentialscreateinvest with a new title, office, or rankmandateassign authority tocastselect to play,sing, or dance a part in a play, movie, musical, opera, or balletpostassign to a post; put into a postcastassign the roles of (a movie or a play) to actorsdevolvepass on or delegate to anothertaskassign a task toplaceplace somebody in a particular situation or locationregimentassign to a regimentmandateassign under a mandaterenamename again or anewadvance, elevate, kick upstairs, promote, raise, upgradegive a promotion to or assign to a higher positionentitlegive the right tosanctiongive authority or permission toplaceassign to (a job or a home)
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impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to“He charged her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend”types:overburdenburden with too much work or responsibilitybear downexert a force or cause a strain uponadjurecommand solemnly
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attribute responsibility to
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instruct or command with authority“The teacher charged the children to memorize the poem”type of:instructgive instructions or directions for some task
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instruct (a jury) about the law, its application, and the weighing of evidencetype of:instructgive instructions or directions for some task
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cause to be admitted; of persons to an institutionsynonyms: commit, institutionalise, institutionalize, sendtypes:type of:transfermove from one place to another
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give over to another for care or safekeepingsynonyms: consigntypes:pledgegive as a guaranteecheckhand over something to somebody as for temporary safekeepingcheckconsign for shipment on a vehiclecollateralizepledge as a collateralgiveoffer in good faithhypothecatepledge without delivery or title of possession
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a special assignment that is given to a person or groupsynonyms: commission, missiontypes:fool's erranda fruitless missionmission impossiblean extremely dangerous or difficult missionmartyr operation, sacrifice operation, suicide missionkilling or injuring others while annihilating yourself; usually accomplished with a bombtype of:assignment, duty assignmenta duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces)
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a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something“the judge's charge to the jury”synonyms: commission, direction, mandatetypes:misdirectionan incorrect charge to a jury given by a judge
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attention and management implying responsibility for safetysynonyms: care, guardianship, tutelagetypes:due care, ordinary care, reasonable carethe care that a reasonable man would exercise under the circumstances; the standard for determining legal dutyfoster caresupervised care for delinquent or neglected children usually in an institution or substitute homegreat caremore attention and consideration than is normally bestowed by prudent personsprovidencethe guardianship and control exercised by a deityslight caresuch care as a careless or inattentive person would exercisetype of:protectionthe activity of protecting someone or something
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a person committed to your care
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blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against“he charged the director with indifference”synonyms: accusetypes:asperse, besmirch, calumniate, defame, denigrate, slander, smear, smirch, sullycharge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someoneindictaccuse formally of a crimearraignaccuse of a wrong or an inadequacyrecriminatereturn an accusation against someone or engage in mutual accusations; charge in returnassassinatedestroy or damage seriously, as of someone's reputationlibelprint slanderous statements againstscapegoatblame or punish someone for the errors of others
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make an accusatory claim
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file a formal charge against
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an assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offensesynonyms: accusationtypes:counterchargea charge brought by an accused person against the accusertype of:assertion, asseveration, avermenta declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
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(criminal law) a pleading describing some wrong or offense“he was arrested on a charge of larceny”synonyms: complainttypes:accusal, accusationa formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guiltself-accusation, self-condemnationan admission that you have failed to do or be something you know you should do or berecriminationmutual accusationsallegation(law) a formal accusation against somebody (often in a court of law)blame gameaccusations exchanged among people who refuse to accept sole responsibility for some undesirable eventimprecationa slanderous accusationimputationa statement attributing something dishonest (especially a criminal offense)indictmentan accusation of wrongdoinginformationformal accusation of a crimeprefermentthe act of making accusationsimplicationan accusation that brings into intimate and usually incriminating connectionimpeachmentthe act of charging an official with an offense committed while in officetype of:pleading(law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding
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set or ask for a certain price
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enter a certain amount as a charge
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demand payment“Will I get charged for this service?”synonyms: billtypes:titheexact a tithe fromassesscharge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as a tax or a fineunderchargecharge (someone) too little moneysurchargecharge an extra fee, as for a special serviceinvoicesend an bill totollcharge a fee for usingtithelevy a tithe on (produce or a crop)reimposeimpose anewlayimpose as a duty, burden, or punishmentmulctimpose a fine ontaxlevy a tax ondistrainlevy a distress on
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pay with a credit card; pay with plastic money; postpone payment by recording a purchase as a debt
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the price charged for some article or service“the admission charge”types:carrying chargecharge made for carrying an account or for merchandise sold on an installment plandepreciation chargean amount periodically charged to expense or against revenue in compensation for depreciation of propertyunderchargea price that is too lowoverchargea price that is too highfixed charge, fixed cost, fixed costsa periodic charge that does not vary with business volume (as insurance or rent or mortgage payments etc.)demurragea charge required as compensation for the delay of a ship or freight car or other cargo beyond its scheduled time of departureinstallation chargethe charge for installing somethingporteragethe charge for carrying burdens by porterspostagethe charge for mailing somethingpoundagea charge based on weight measured in poundswater-raterate per quarter for water from a public supplysurchargean additional charge (as for items previously omitted or as a penalty for failure to exercise common caution or common skill)service charge, service feea percentage of a bill (as at a hotel or restaurant) added in payment for servicestowagethe charge for stowing goodstankagethe charge for storing something in tanksinstallment rate, payment rate, rate of payment, repayment ratethe amount of money paid out per unit timeextortionan exorbitant chargecorkagea charge added at a restaurant for every bottle of wine served that was not bought on the premisesairfarethe fare charged for traveling by airplanetrain farethe fare charged for traveling by traintax raterate used to calculate tax liabilitycover, cover chargea fixed charge by a restaurant or nightclub over and above the charge for food and drinkinteresta fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of the amount borrowedfeea fixed charge for a privilege or for professional servicessingle supplementa surcharge added to the cost per person when traveling alonedepreciation rate, rate of depreciationthe rate at which the value of property is reduced; used to calculate tax deductionexchange rate, rate of exchangethe charge for exchanging currency of one country for currency of anotherexcursion ratea reduced rate for a round-trip ticketfootagea rate of charging by the linear foot of work donelinage, lineagea rate of payment for written material that is measured according to the number of lines submittedroom ratethe rate charged daily for a hotel roomduea payment that is due (e.g., as the price of membership)type of:costthe total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
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request for payment of a debt“they submitted their charges at the end of each month”synonyms: billingtypes:presentmenta document that must be accepted and paid by another person
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financial liabilities (such as a tax)“the charges against the estate”types:levya charge imposed and collectedassessmentan amount determined as payablerevenue enhancement, tax, taxationcharge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of governmenttithea levy of one tenth of somethingtype of:liabilitiesanything that is owed to someone else
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make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
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move quickly and violently“He came charging into my office”synonyms: buck, shoot, shoot down, teartypes:ripmove precipitously or violentlytype of:belt along, bucket along, cannonball along, hasten, hie, hotfoot, pelt along, race, rush, rush along, speed, step on itmove fast
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cause to be agitated, excited, or roused
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saturate
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fill or load to capacity“charge the wagon with hay”antonyms:dischargeremove the charge fromtypes:freightload with goods for transportationoverburdenload with excessive weightplumbweight with leadsaddleload or burden; encumber
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provide (a device) with something necessary
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direct into a position for use
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an impetuous rush toward someone or something“the wrestler's charge carried him past his adversary”“the battle began with a cavalry charge”types:counterchargea retaliatory charge
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the swift release of a store of affective force
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(psychoanalysis) the libidinal energy invested in some idea or person or objectsynonyms: cathexistype of:libidinal energy(psychoanalysis) psychic energy produced by the libido
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a quantity of explosive to be set off at one time“this cartridge has a powder charge of 50 grains”synonyms: burster, bursting charge, explosive chargetype of:explosivea chemical substance that undergoes a rapid chemical change (with the production of gas) on being heated or struck
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cause formation of a net electrical charge in or on
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energize a battery by passing a current through it in the direction opposite to discharge
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the quantity of unbalanced electricity in a body (either positive or negative) and construed as an excess or deficiency of electrons“the battery needed a fresh charge”synonyms: electric chargetypes:electrostatic chargethe electric charge at rest on the surface of an insulated body (which establishes and adjacent electrostatic field)positive chargethe state of having a deficiency of electrons; having a higher electric potentialnegative chargethe state of having a surplus of electrons; having a lower electric potentialtype of:electrical phenomenona physical phenomenon involving electricity
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heraldry consisting of a design or image depicted on a shieldsynonyms: armorial bearing, bearing, heraldic bearing
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place a heraldic bearing on“charge all weapons, shields, and banners”type of:paintmake a painting
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lie down on command, of hunting dogs
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