charge
charge — verb
1. to ask someone to pay a specific amount in exchange for a product, a service, or
to ask someone to pay a specific amount in exchange for a product, a service, or the right to use something
The garage charged Liang £80 for repairing his car brakes.
charge + [someone] + [amount] + for + [something]
How much does the hotel charge for a room with a sea view?
charge + [amount] + for + [something] (question form)
Ada's dentist charged her forty pounds for the check-up yesterday.
The tour company charged each person fifty dollars for the boat trip.
charge + each person + [amount]
Faisal's landlord charged him an extra fee for keeping a pet cat.
- charge a fee
- charge a price
- charge rent
- charge interest
- charge customers
- charge for a service
- give away
to offer without asking for payment
Grammar Patterns
charge + [someone] + [amount] + for + [something]
charge + [amount] + for + [something]
Usage Note
Common in business, retail, and service contexts. Can take two objects: the person paying and the amount.
Common Mistakes
2. to record a purchase on a customer's account so that the total amount can be pai
to record a purchase on a customer's account so that the total amount can be paid at a later date, rather than asking for cash or card payment at the time
Rachel charged her new coat to her mother's account at the shop.
charge + [something] + to + [account]
The hotel said they would charge the meal to James's room bill.
Linh asked the store to charge the purchase to her credit account.
passive: charge [something] to [account]
The restaurant charged the wine to the business account automatically.
Constanza charged the gardening tools to her account at the hardware shop.
- charge to an account
- charge to a room
- charge it to me
- charge a purchase
- pay
to settle the amount immediately rather than deferring payment
Grammar Patterns
charge + [something] + to + [someone / account]
charge + [someone] + [amount]
Usage Note
Subject is usually a business or service provider. The preposition 'to' introduces the account or person being billed.
3. when law enforcement tells someone in an official way that they are believed to
when law enforcement tells someone in an official way that they are believed to have broken the law and will have to answer for it in court
The police charged Obi with stealing money from the office safe.
charge + [someone] + with + [crime]
Hamza was charged with driving without a valid licence last week.
passive: be charged with [crime]
Detectives charged the woman with breaking into three homes in the area.
The court date was set after police charged Élise with the robbery.
Ilan's lawyer argued that the police should not have charged his client.
charge + [someone] (crime omitted when context is clear)
- be charged with murder
- be charged with theft
- charged with an offence
- face charges
- charged by police
Grammar Patterns
charge + [someone] + with + [crime]
Usage Note
Frequently passive ('was charged with'). Subject is typically the police or a prosecutor. The crime follows 'with' as a gerund or noun phrase.
Common Mistakes
4. to state openly that a person, group, or organisation has behaved wrongly or has
to state openly that a person, group, or organisation has behaved wrongly or has broken a rule, without necessarily involving the police
Critics charged the mayor with ignoring the needs of poor families.
charge + [someone] + with + [gerund phrase]
Mathieu's opponents charged him with lying about his work experience.
News reporters charged the company with hiding safety problems from workers.
Some parents charged the school with failing to protect children at playtime.
charge + [organisation] + with + failing to [verb]
Liang charged his neighbour with damaging the garden they share.
- charge someone with neglect
- charge someone with incompetence
- charged with misleading the public
- defend
to speak in support of someone against an accusation
Grammar Patterns
charge + [someone] + with + [doing something bad]
charge + that + [clause]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 3: this sense does not involve a police or legal procedure — it is a public claim of wrongdoing. Common in political, journalistic, and workplace contexts.
Common Mistakes
5. to run or move very fast towards a person or thing, often in an aggressive or vi
to run or move very fast towards a person or thing, often in an aggressive or violent way, especially in order to attack
The bull suddenly charged at the farmer who was crossing the field.
charge + at + [someone]
When the door opened, the excited dogs charged towards their owner.
The soldiers charged towards the enemy position before the sun came up.
charge + towards + [place]
Faisal's horse charged across the open field when a loud noise startled it.
charge + across + [place]
The protesters charged at the metal gate, but the police held them back.
- charge at someone
- charge towards something
- charge forward
- charge into battle
Grammar Patterns
charge + at + [someone / something]
charge + towards + [someone / something]
charge + [someone / something]
Usage Note
Often used with a preposition of direction (at, towards, across, into). When transitive, the object is the person or thing being attacked.
6. to move quickly from one place or activity to another, often because you have ma
to move quickly from one place or activity to another, often because you have many things to do in a short time
Ada spent the whole morning charging around town buying supplies for the party.
charge around [place]
The nurses charged from one room to another during the emergency.
Obi had to charge between three different offices to get all the paperwork done.
charge between [places]
Hamza's mother was charging about the kitchen, preparing food for the guests.
charge about [place]
Rachel charged through the airport to reach her gate before the flight left.
- charge around
- charge about
- charge through
- charge from place to place
Grammar Patterns
charge + [adverb / prepositional phrase]
Usage Note
Always takes an adverb or prepositional phrase indicating direction (around, about, through, between). Never used without a complement.
Common Mistakes
7. in basketball and similar sports, to run into or push an opposing player, commit
in basketball and similar sports, to run into or push an opposing player, committing a foul under the rules.
The referee called a foul when Rachid charged into the defender near the basket.
charge + into + opponent noun phrase
If a player charges during a basketball match, the other team gets the ball.
Charging an opponent who has already taken their position on court is against the rules.
gerund form: charging + opponent
The coach told Sven not to charge the point guard so hard in the final quarter.
transitive: charge + person (opponent)
- charge into an opponent
- charge the defender
- charge down the court
- get called for charging
- run into
less formal; describes the physical action without implying a rules violation
- barge into
more informal; suggests careless or rude contact
Grammar Patterns
charge + into/toward + noun phrase
charge + noun phrase (opponent)
Usage Note
This sense applies mainly to basketball and American football. Distinguish from sense 6, where charge means to hurry — in sense 7 the contact with another player is the key element.
Common Mistakes
8. to load a gun, cannon, or similar weapon with enough explosive material for one
to load a gun, cannon, or similar weapon with enough explosive material for one shot.
The soldier carefully charged his rifle before the training exercise began.
transitive: charge + weapon (rifle)
Eleni watched her grandfather charge the old hunting gun with black powder.
charge + weapon + with + explosive material
In past wars, soldiers charged a cannon by pouring powder down its barrel before each shot.
historical register: charging a cannon
The instructor showed Min how to charge the musket so it would fire safely.
- charge a rifle
- charge a cannon
- charge a musket
- charge with gunpowder
- charge with powder
- load
more general; can apply to any weapon and is far more common in modern use
- fill with powder
descriptive phrase; clarifies the specific action
Grammar Patterns
charge + noun phrase (weapon) + with + noun phrase (explosive)
Usage Note
This sense is historical or specialist in modern contexts, as most firearms today use pre-loaded cartridges rather than being charged manually.
Common Mistakes
9. to formally order or instruct someone to do a particular task or take on a respo
to formally order or instruct someone to do a particular task or take on a responsibility.
The general charged the soldiers with guarding the supply route through the mountains.
charge + someone + with + gerund phrase
Rachid was charged with organising the school's annual charity fundraiser this year.
passive: be charged with + gerund phrase
The committee charged Gabriel to find a suitable venue for the conference before March.
charge + someone + to-infinitive
The dean charged the new professor with developing a course on modern Asian history.
charge + someone + with + gerund (academic context)
- charge with a task
- charge with a duty
- charge with responsibility
- charge someone to do something
- relieve
opposite meaning: to remove someone from a duty or responsibility
Grammar Patterns
be charged with + noun phrase / gerund
charge + someone + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive (be charged with + task). Unlike sense 10, this sense is not limited to legal proceedings — the person giving the order can be any authority figure.
Common Mistakes
10. when a judge gives a jury official instructions about the laws they must apply i
when a judge gives a jury official instructions about the laws they must apply in order to reach a verdict in a court case.
The judge charged the jury to disregard any information they had seen in the news.
charge + jury + to-infinitive
Before the jury began their talks, the judge charged them on the legal meaning of self-defence.
charge + jury + on + legal topic
The defence lawyer claimed the judge had not properly charged the jury on the burden of proof.
charge the jury (legal context, collocation with 'burden of proof')
Valentina listened closely as the judge charged the jury with instructions about the evidence.
- charge the jury
- charge on a point of law
- charge with instructions
- charge regarding evidence
Grammar Patterns
charge + noun phrase (jury) + to-infinitive
charge + noun phrase (jury) + on + noun phrase
Usage Note
Only applies to a judge speaking to a jury. Do not use for general orders — that is sense 9. This sense belongs to legal procedure and rarely appears outside court or courtroom drama contexts.
Common Mistakes
11. to put electrical energy into a battery or device so that it can store power and
to put electrical energy into a battery or device so that it can store power and work without being plugged into a mains socket.
Hyun forgot to charge his phone before leaving for the airport in the morning.
transitive: charge + device (phone)
The electric car needs to charge for at least six hours to fill the battery fully.
passive: be charged for [duration]
Dewi charged the camera battery overnight so it would be ready for the hiking trip.
charge + battery + time duration
You can charge the tablet using a USB cable connected to your laptop.
charge + device + using/with + method
These wireless earbuds charge in about an hour and last for a full day.
intransitive: device charges in [duration]
- charge a battery
- charge a phone
- charge a device
- charge overnight
- fully charged
- charge up
Grammar Patterns
charge + noun phrase (device/battery)
charge up + noun phrase
noun phrase (device) charges
Usage Note
Can be used transitively (I charge the battery) or intransitively (the battery charges). The phrasal verb charge up is common in informal speech.
Common Mistakes
charge — noun
1. the sum a seller asks a buyer to pay for a product, activity, or service provide
the sum a seller asks a buyer to pay for a product, activity, or service provided
The hotel charges include breakfast, dinner, and free Wi-Fi for all guests.
collocation: charges include [items]
There is a small charge for using the hotel swimming pool.
a charge for [service]
Ayana checked the bank charge before signing the rental agreement.
All repairs are done at no extra charge to the customer.
no extra charge
The delivery charge for the new sofa was fifty dollars, plus tax.
- charge for
- free of charge
- extra charge
- service charge
- delivery charge
- bank charge
- cover charge
Grammar Patterns
charge for [something]
free of charge
Usage Note
Commonly appears in the fixed phrase 'free of charge' (meaning without payment). When countable, plural 'charges' often lists itemised costs.
Common Mistakes
2. a formal statement by the police or a court accusing someone of breaking the law
a formal statement by the police or a court accusing someone of breaking the law, which may lead to a trial
The police dropped the charge after finding no evidence against Rodrigo.
charge + drop: stop the legal process
Samir is facing a charge of theft from the electronics store.
face a charge of [crime]
Sumin's lawyer asked the judge to reduce the charge to a minor offence.
The charge of fraud was brought against the company director.
Beatrix was cleared of all charges when the witness changed her story.
cleared of all charges: found not guilty
- face a charge
- bring charges
- drop charges
- deny charges
- dismiss charges
- a charge of murder/theft/fraud
- indictment
a formal written accusation, especially from a grand jury; more technical than 'charge'
- accusation
a general claim that someone did wrong; does not require formal legal procedure
Grammar Patterns
a charge of [crime]
face a charge
bring charges against
drop charges
Usage Note
Subject is typically the police, a prosecutor, or the legal system itself. Common verb partners: 'face', 'bring', 'drop', 'press', 'deny', 'dismiss'. Unlike sense 3, this sense always involves a formal legal process.
Common Mistakes
3. a claim that someone has done something wrong, made without necessarily having l
a claim that someone has done something wrong, made without necessarily having legal proof or a formal indictment
Ilan denied the charge that he had cheated during the exam.
deny the charge that [clause]
The newspaper published a charge of corruption against the mayor.
a charge of [misconduct]
Kian dismissed the charge as a misunderstanding between neighbours.
The principal faced a charge of unfair grading from angry parents.
Olivia made the charge that her colleague had taken credit for her work.
make the charge that [clause]
- a charge that
- deny a charge
- face a charge
- dismiss a charge
- make a charge
- allegation
a claim made without proof; slightly more formal than 'charge'
- claim
neutral; can be true or false, no legal nuance
- accusation
similar to 'charge' but does not imply formal procedure
Grammar Patterns
a charge that [clause]
deny a charge
a charge of [misconduct]
Usage Note
This sense does not require legal formality — it can be a public, professional, or personal claim. Unlike sense 2 (LEGAL ACCUSATION), it can take a that-clause. Distinguish from sense 2 by checking whether the context involves police or a court — if not, this sense is the correct choice.
Common Mistakes
4. the position of having authority over or responsibility for a person, group, or
the position of having authority over or responsibility for a person, group, or activity
Who is in charge of the science project this semester?
in charge of [task/group]
Olivia took charge of the kitchen while the manager was away.
take charge of [place/activity]
The nurse in charge of the ward checked every patient before lunch.
Lien was put in charge of training the new team members.
The officer in charge of the case has twenty years of experience.
- in charge of
- take charge
- put someone in charge
- person in charge
Grammar Patterns
in charge of
take charge of
be in charge
Usage Note
Most commonly appears in the fixed phrases 'in charge (of)' and 'take charge (of)'. No article is used before 'charge' in these expressions (❌ 'in the charge of'). The object after 'of' is the thing or person being supervised.
Common Mistakes
5. a task or job that involves taking care of something or someone; a specific resp
a task or job that involves taking care of something or someone; a specific responsibility assigned to a person
Jack's main charge is to keep the laboratory equipment clean and safe.
main charge is to [verb]: specific duty
The social worker has the charge of checking on elderly residents every week.
have the charge of [gerund]
Andrés accepted the charge of organising the school festival.
Each nurse is given the charge of monitoring five patients overnight.
The committee gave Kasia the charge of arranging the end-of-year party.
- the charge of
- give someone the charge of
- accept the charge of
- main charge
- duty
a moral or legal obligation; stronger sense of requirement than 'charge'
- task
a specific piece of work to be done; more concrete
- responsibility
something you are expected to do; broader and more common than 'charge'
Grammar Patterns
the charge of [something]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 4 (IN CHARGE): sense 4 names the person's authority role, while sense 5 names the specific task or job itself. Often followed by 'of + noun/gerund'. Less common in everyday speech than 'responsibility' or 'duty'.
6. a person who is looked after by someone else, especially a child living with and
a person who is looked after by someone else, especially a child living with and supported by a parent or guardian
The school provides after-class care for the charges of working parents.
The orphanage looks after charges between the ages of three and twelve.
The court decided that the children were charges of the local government.
charges of [institution]: formal care arrangement
Grandparents often look after their charges while the parents work abroad.
The teacher treated each charge in her class with equal kindness.
- look after charges
- charges of
- take care of charges
Usage Note
More formal or legal in tone. In everyday conversation, 'dependent' or 'child' is more common. The person responsible for the charge is described in sense 4 (IN CHARGE).
7. a measured quantity of explosive material used to fire a weapon once, or to prod
a measured quantity of explosive material used to fire a weapon once, or to produce a single blast during mining or demolition
The demolition team placed a powerful charge inside the old building's walls.
charge + placed inside [location] — demolition context
Darius removed the charge from the shell before storing it safely in the shed.
A small charge of dynamite cleared the fallen rocks from the mountain road.
charge of [explosive material] — specific substance
The soldier checked each charge in his ammunition belt before the mission began.
- explosive charge
- powder charge
- place a charge
- set a charge
- charge of dynamite
Usage Note
Often followed by 'of' and the name of the explosive material (e.g., a charge of gunpowder). Countable only.
8. a sudden forward rush by soldiers, animals, or sports players to attack or reach
a sudden forward rush by soldiers, animals, or sports players to attack or reach a target
The general ordered a cavalry charge against the enemy's left flank.
military charge — ordered by commander
The angry bull elephant stopped mid-charge and turned away from the tourists.
The rugby player's powerful charge pushed three defenders out of the way.
sports charge — rugby context
Sora watched the buffalo charge from a safe distance behind the fence.
- lead a charge
- order a charge
- cavalry charge
- make a charge
- sound the charge
- charge at
- retreat
backward movement away from the enemy
Usage Note
Commonly collocates with verbs like 'lead', 'order', 'make', and 'sound the charge'. The subject is typically a military commander, a herd of animals, or a sports player.
Common Mistakes
9. a formal instruction or command given to a person or group, telling them what to
a formal instruction or command given to a person or group, telling them what to do or how to act
The judge gave the jury a charge explaining the legal rules for the case.
legal context: judge's charge to jury
The king issued a charge to his knights to defend the northern border.
formal command: charge + to-infinitive
Nellie read the manager's charge, which listed everything the team needed to complete.
The colonel's charge to the recruits was simple: follow orders without question.
- give a charge
- issue a charge
- judge's charge
- charge to the jury
- instruction
less authoritative; commonly used in workplace or educational settings
- command
more forceful; used in military or hierarchical contexts
- directive
formal; used in official or bureaucratic communication
Grammar Patterns
charge + to-infinitive
Usage Note
In legal contexts, 'charge' specifically refers to a judge's instructions to a jury about the law. In other formal settings, it means any official instruction or duty assigned to someone.
Common Mistakes
10. the electrical energy stored in a battery or the electrical property of a substa
the electrical energy stored in a battery or the electrical property of a substance, which can be positive or negative
My phone battery still has enough charge to last through the evening.
battery charge remaining
In physics class, Beatriz learned how positive and negative charges attract each other.
positive / negative charge — physics concept
The car's battery lost its charge after the headlights were left on all night.
A static charge built up on the balloon after Gita rubbed it against her hair.
static charge — built up by friction
The battery in Asher's watch holds enough charge to run for two years.
- full charge
- lose charge
- hold a charge
- positive charge
- negative charge
- electric charge
- static charge
- power
broader; refers to the ability to do work, not specifically electrical
- electricity
refers to the energy itself rather than a stored quantity
Usage Note
Uncountable when referring to the amount of stored energy ('enough charge', 'loses charge'). Countable when referring to a specific type or unit of electrical property ('a positive charge', 'electric charges').
11. the process of supplying electrical power to a battery or device so that it can
the process of supplying electrical power to a battery or device so that it can operate again
Cole left his laptop on charge overnight so it would be ready for work.
on charge — device receiving power
The battery indicator shows that the tablet is still on charge and not yet full.
Piotr put the electric scooter on charge after riding it to work every day.
Make sure the camera battery is on charge before you leave for the trip tomorrow.
on charge — preparation advice
- on charge
- put on charge
- leave on charge
- be on charge
- recharging
more explicit; usually implies restoring a depleted battery
Usage Note
Almost always used in the phrase 'on charge' or 'put on charge'. Not used as a standalone noun to describe the act of charging. Describes the state of receiving power, not the electricity itself.
Common Mistakes
free of charge
idiomprovided without requiring any payment
The museum offers free guided tours free of charge every Sunday afternoon.
Ayana downloaded the software free of charge from the official website.
in charge of
idiomhaving control over or responsibility for someone or something
Dr. Okafor is in charge of the hospital's emergency department.
The committee put Andrés in charge of fundraising for the new library.
take charge
idiomto take control or responsibility, especially when no one else is doing so
When the fire alarm went off, the teacher took charge and led the children outside.
Lien took charge of the household finances after her father fell ill.
press charges
idiomto make an official legal accusation against someone, usually at a police station
The shop owner decided not to press charges against the teenager who stole the candy.
Samir threatened to press charges if the neighbours did not return his tools.
To officially accuse someone of a crime so the case can go to court.
The victim decided to press charges against the thief.
Did the police bring charges against the driver?
To feel great excitement or pleasure from doing something.
Maya gets a charge out of solving difficult puzzles.
Do you get a charge out of watching horror movies?
lead the charge
idiomTo be the first person to start doing something new or important.
Sara led the charge to reduce plastic waste at school.
Who will lead the charge in developing renewable energy?
Word family
- chargedadjectiveB2
- chargernounB1
- rechargeverbB2
- rechargeableadjectiveB2
- overchargeverbB2
- overchargenounC1
- dischargeverbC1
- dischargenounC1
- chargingadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Charge, fee, cost, and price all relate to money but differ in focus. A charge is the amount a seller asks for a specific service or product (e.g., 'a delivery charge of £5'), often appearing on a bill. A fee suggests a professional or membership payment — a doctor charges a fee for a consultation, but a supermarket doesn't. Cost is what the buyer actually pays or spends, not just what is asked: 'The cost of the new laptop was £800'. Price is the most general term, the amount marked on goods in a shop. In short: shops set prices, services add charges, professionals collect fees, and customers bear costs.
Common collocations
Nouns
- charge + customer
- charge + fee
- charge + account
- charge + amount
- charge + battery
Adverbs
- fully charged
- criminally charged
- directly charge
- wrongly charged
- personally charged
Phrases
- free of charge
- in charge of
- take charge
- bring charges
- drop charges
- face charges
- press charges
- on charge
Prepositions
- charge + for
- charge + with
- charge + of
- charge + against
- charge + to
Etymology
The word charge entered English from Old French 'charger', meaning to load or burden. That French verb came from Late Latin 'carricare' (to load a wagon), which derived from Latin 'carrus', a type of cart or wagon. The root idea of 'loading' explains the range of modern meanings: loading a weapon with explosive, loading a debt onto an account, loading a person with a duty or command, and loading someone with an accusation. The electrical sense, 'to supply with energy', developed in the 19th century as batteries were described as being 'loaded' with electricity.