Skip to content
GREMockTests
GRE vocabulary

galvanize

verbHigh-frequency wordMore G words

to shock or stir into sudden action

Word origin: From the name of Luigi Galvani, who studied electrical effects on muscle.

Start a free GRE mock test 39 minutes · free · instant score
In a sentence

Galvanize in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing galvanize in a sentence.

The tragic news galvanized neighbors who had never spoken into organizing relief efforts overnight.

The court ruling galvanized a dormant movement into months of organized protest.

Synonyms
spurstimulaterouseenergize
Antonyms
deterdiscouragedampen

Quick GRE check

Question 1 of 3

3 questions, about 2 minutes. How would you do on the real test?

Verbal · Sentence Equivalence

The treaty's terms were deliberately blank, allowing each side to interpret the key clauses in whatever way best suited its own interests.

Select the two answers that give the sentence the same meaning. 0 of 2 selected.

Usage & nuance

Using “galvanize” well

To galvanize is to shock or rouse people into sudden, energetic action. The figurative sense draws on the literal electrical meaning, so it implies a jolt rather than a gradual prompting.

Common questions

Questions about “galvanize”

Galvanize (verb) means to shock or stir into sudden action
Here is galvanize used in an example sentence: "The tragic news galvanized neighbors who had never spoken into organizing relief efforts overnight." Another example: "The court ruling galvanized a dormant movement into months of organized protest."
Common synonyms for galvanize include spur, stimulate, rouse, energize.
Antonyms of galvanize include deter, discourage, dampen.
Clusters with spur, stimulate, rouse, and energize, opposed by deter, discourage, and dampen. The GRE favors the figurative sense of stirring people to act, so do not be misled by the metalworking meaning.
Yes. Galvanize is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

See these words the way the GRE tests them.

Take the free 39-minute GRE Quick Mock Test and meet words like this inside real Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, with a worked solution for every answer.