1

One of the meanings of the adjective "dead" is having no power/electricity/battery.

But I don't see the opposite adjective "alive" meaning having power/electricity/battery.

We can say "the clock went dead".

Can we say "I put the battery in and the clock came alive"?

Improve this question
5
  • 'Alive' is actually quite common when talking about electricity. Don't touch that wire! It might be alive! Or 'live', and yes, you can say that the clock came alive, came back to life, was restored to life, was revived, etc, when you replaced the battery.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Mar 29 at 8:23
  • 1
    But started might be more usual.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Mar 29 at 9:13
  • @MichaelHarvey "live" is common in electrical context, but if someone told me that a wire is "alive" I'd think of something more along the lines of this Evil Dead scene.
    – Maciej Stachowski
    Commented Apr 2 at 12:46
  • (in computing/networking "alive" is sometimes used to mean "operating and reachable", or a connection can be "alive" in the sense of "accepting further communication", but it's more of a jargon and not really general usage).
    – Maciej Stachowski
    Commented Apr 2 at 12:54
  • @MaciejStachowski - in UK usage, 'alive' for 'electrically energised' is a bit old fashioned (maybe more common up to around 1950). Certainly my parents used it (my father was an electrical engineer). In modern usage I think 'live' is more common, but the older usage (alive) has not died out altogether.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Apr 2 at 13:39

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
1

I put the battery in and the clock came alive. [buzzer=a non-starter]

I put the battery in and the clock came back on. [started working, most usual]
I put the battery in and the clock started working. [also this one]
I put the battery in and the clock started running. [also this one]

Improve this answer
9
  • Do you think nonnative speakers understand the term "buzzer" and its meaning in pop culture?
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Apr 1 at 14:29
  • I think "the clock comes on” is when it is switched on or plugged into an electrical socket/power source.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Apr 1 at 14:31
  • @Mari-LouA They can look up buzzer, and yes, anything electrical can be said to come on. Collins Dictionary: 6. PHRASAL VERB B2 When something such as a machine or system comes on, it starts working or functioning. The central heating was coming on and the ancient wooden boards creaked. [VERB PARTICLE]
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 1 at 14:38
  • I suggested that "come one" would be more typical if something was switched on or plugged into a power source. I understand the meaning, I am querying whether native speakers use that expression immediately after inserting a battery. I'm not convinced. Started working/running for battery operated devices are, as far as my personal experience is concerned, perfectly natural-sounding. For the non-native users on ELL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzzer and merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzzer. The meaning of buzzer could mean that someone has the right answer. Possibly?
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Apr 1 at 14:47
  • @Mari-LouA The dictionary definition proves my point. I was surprised to see that the definition is almost 100% like my two other sentences. So...No, buzzer means time's up or the answer is wrong. It's just a nice way to say it.
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 1 at 14:53
2

I've never heard of "alive" being used that way. The phrase used is usually "turns on".

"X came to life" is usually artistic choice to emphasize the significance of something electrical/mechanical turning on

Improve this answer
3
  • 2
    I agree that I've never heard alive used that way (AmE). Turned on is a common way to express the return of electrical power. I would probably say started running, started to run, or ran.
    – EllieK
    Commented Apr 1 at 12:22
  • I don't think I would say that a clock turns on. A light, machine turns on. A alarm on a clock could turn on.
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 1 at 16:59
  • Well a clock would usually "start" like "starts ticking" but what I get from the question isn't really about a "clock", more like powered mechanism like a robot
    – Raestloz
    Commented Apr 2 at 4:10
1

We don't normally say that electrical items are "alive". I think you - and possibly some other comments - are getting mixed up with the word 'live'. The term "live" is used in connection with electrical circuits and individual appliances to describe a state in which electrical current is flowing.

Conversely, "dead" is commonly used to describe a state in which electrical current is not flowing through a circuit, or not correctly powering an appliance. We often say that individual appliances without any visible electrical connection are "dead".

If electricity was restored to an item previously declared 'dead', we'd probably just say it was "back on". However, that's not to say that "alive" couldn't be metaphorically in some way. We often personify vehicles, and I remember my friend would always say "she's alive!" when his beaten-up old car miraculously started.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .