Thrilling and exciting in a way that makes you feel energized or shocked into sudden attention, like an electric current.
From 'electrify' (to charge with electricity or to thrill greatly), which comes from 'electric' + '-ify.' The root traces to Greek 'elektron' (amber), which ancient Greeks discovered could produce static charges.
Here's the wild part: the Greeks discovered static electricity by rubbing amber, but they didn't understand what it was for 2,000 years. Then Benjamin Franklin proved lightning was electricity, and suddenly we realized nature had been 'electrifying' us with the same force. Now when we say an event is electrifying, we're using the exact same metaphor of energy and shock.
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