Meanings
present singular third person switches on · participle present switching on · participle past switched on · past switched on
- transitiveTo start or enable a device by turning a switch or a lever.
“[…] Tell her I’ll be outside the house from eleven o’clock onwards. Tell her to leave the morning-room window open and to switch on the light in her bedroom when it’s safe for me to come in.”
1926, Nevil Shute, chapter 1, in Marazan, London: CassellSynonyms: start up, turn on · Antonyms: shut off, switch off, turn off
- idiomaticTo change one's expression or appearance as if by turning a switch.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo start or enable a device by turning a switch or a lever.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Basque piztu
- piztuto turn a switch to the "on" position
Chinese Mandarin 打開 /打开, 開 /开
- 打開 /打开 (dǎkāi)to turn a switch to the "on" position
- 開 /开 (kāi)to turn a switch to the "on" position
Czech zapnout
- zapnoutto turn a switch to the "on" position
Danish tænde, starte (op)
- tændeto turn a switch to the "on" position
- starte (op)to turn a switch to the "on" position
Dutch aanzetten, inschakelen
- aanzettento turn a switch to the "on" position
- inschakelento turn a switch to the "on" position
Esperanto enŝalti
- enŝaltito turn a switch to the "on" position
Finnish kytkeä, käynnistää
- kytkeäto turn a switch to the "on" position
- käynnistääto turn a switch to the "on" position
- sytyttääto turn a switch to the "on" position
French allumer
- allumerto turn a switch to the "on" position
German anschalten, einschalten
- anschaltento turn a switch to the "on" position
- einschaltento turn a switch to the "on" position
Greek ανάβω
- ανάβω (anávo)to turn a switch to the "on" position
Hungarian bekapcsol
- bekapcsolto turn a switch to the "on" position
Italian accendere
- accendereto turn a switch to the "on" position
Japanese 付ける
- 付ける (tsukeru)to turn a switch to the "on" position
Korean 켜다
- 켜다 (kyeoda)to turn a switch to the "on" position
Māori whakakā
- whakakāto turn a switch to the "on" position
Polish włączać, włączyć
- włączaćto turn a switch to the "on" position
- włączyćto turn a switch to the "on" position
Portuguese ligar
- ligarto turn a switch to the "on" position
Romanian aprinde
- aprindeto turn a switch to the "on" position
Russian включа́ть, включи́ть
- включа́ть (vključátʹ)to turn a switch to the "on" position
- включи́ть (vključítʹ)to turn a switch to the "on" position
Scottish Gaelic cuir air
- cuir airto turn a switch to the "on" position
Spanish encender, prender
- encenderto turn a switch to the "on" position
- prenderto turn a switch to the "on" position
Swedish sätta på
- sätta påto turn a switch to the "on" position
Turkish (lambayı, ışığı) açmak, (düğmeye, şaltere) basmak
- (lambayı, ışığı) açmakto turn a switch to the "on" position
- (düğmeye, şaltere) basmakto turn a switch to the "on" position
Vietnamese bật
- bậtto turn a switch to the "on" position
Cite this entry
switch on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/switch%20on
“switch on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/switch%20on. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “switch on,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/switch%20on.
Source: switch on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.