Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) irritated, provoked.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

2. (orig. US drugs) addicted to heroin.

1970		Current Sl. V:3 13: Wired, adj. Addicted to or taking drugs.
1981		D.E. Miller Bk of Jargon 345: wired: 1. Having a heroin habit.
2009		W.D. Myers Dope Sick 54: I slipped from dibbing and dabbing into drugs, from weekend parties to really getting wired up.

3. using cocaine or some form of amphetamines or caffeine.

1966		H.S. Thompson Hell’s Angels (1967) 191: Magoo is a pill freak, and when he gets wired up, he does a lot of talking.
1969		Cressey & Ward Delinquency, Crime, and Social Process 817: If a pimp can do so, he will stay clear of narcotics and ‘keep his holes’ wired on pills or crystals.
1978		H. Selby Jr Requiem for a Dream (1987) 94: Harry and Ty got wired at night and worked their asses off.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 166: Now, they keep you real wired – hummin’ and strummin’!
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 28: He can sound like a high school kid wired up on bad speed.
1994		J. Wambaugh Finnegan’s Week 287: He was hopelessly drunk or wired on drugs, or both.
1999		Observer Mag. 20 June 33: Kids [...] completely wired, having bad trips.
2000		Indep. Rev. 8 June 11: I score my speed. Gotta get wired again.
2010		L. Redhead Thrill City [ebook] ‘You seem wired.’ ‘As a matter of fact I am’.
2014		M. McBride Swollen Red Sun 209: ‘He told me somew, cuz he talks when he’s wired’.
2018		G. Gilmore Class Act [ebook] A wired couple arguing, only the swear words audible: ‘facking this’ and ‘facking that’.

4. (also wired out) tense, nervous, irritable, full of ‘electricity’; thus wire out v., to make tense.

1968		J. Hudson A Case of Need 174: She was really turned off. Wired out. Down, you know.
1975		N. De Mille Smack Man (1991) 63: The day had wired him out, made him shaky.
1979		H. Feldman et al. Angel Dust 97: As PCP’s effects wear off, users report an unpleasant feeling of anxiety, of being ‘all wired up.’.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 177: Drops whites behind reds [...] I’m righteously wired up now.
1985		N. Pileggi Wiseguy (2001) 108: You couldn’t kid around with Tommy. He was wired very tight.
1994		D. Fallowell One Hot Summer in St Petersburg 10: Feel wired up – slug more whisky.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 55: The concerted efforts of the last couple of hours had left Guy wired, and he knew he wouldn’t settle to anything.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 81: Colm’s bin fuckin dabbin an snortin at-a whizz since Tuesday an is, like, apserlutely fuckin wired.
2006		C. Hiaasen Nature Girl 23: I’m too wired to type.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 209: He was still wired, still keen to talk.
2011		J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 65: I’m too wired to sleep.
2017		A. Parks Bloody January 79: [T]oo wired to go home.
2018		‘Aidan Truhen’ Price You Pay 203: It’s possible I may be a little wired and a little stressed out.
2023		D. Whish-Wilson I Am Already Dead 196: He sounded exhausted and wired at the same time.

5. in fig. use, addicted to a person, an activity.

1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 249: Red looked back to where the boy was clearly playing the coquette with O’Brien [...] ‘It looks like O’Brien’ll have her wired up before you get the chance.’.
1990		(con. c.1970) G. Hasford Phantom Blooper 14: The dead are kids who can’t get wired to the program, and pay the price. Here it’s grow up now, grow up fast, grow up overnight, or you don’t grow up at all.

6. (US prison) having a homosexual lifestyle prior to entering prison.

1971–2

C. Shafer ‘Catheads [...] and Cho-Cho Sticks’ in Abernethy Bounty of Texas (1990) 217: wired, adj.– having deviant sexual interest or background: ‘He was wired when he came here.’.

7. (US gay) sexually excited.

1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 109: lusty [...] wired [-up].
2009		(con. 1960s) J. Ellroy Blood’s a Rover 27: She’s USC frosh. She’s got Crutch all wired.

8. drunk.

1975

Wentworth & Flexner DAS.

9. highly stimulated, excited, eager.

1971		E.E. Landy Underground Dict. (1972).
1977		L. Bangs in Psychotic Reactions (1988) 230: They [i.e. The Clash] were the only group he’d ever seen onstage who were truly wired.
1988		D. Woodrell Muscle for the Wing 145: You were wired and primed back there, man.
1998		Hip-Hop Connection Dec. 28: The wired enthusiasm of those who show up.
2000		M.E. Dassad ‘Chickenhawk’ at www.cultdeadcow.com 🌐 I took the train back to my apartment, fed the cats, watered the plants, tried to eat, but I was too wired.
2006		G. Iles Turning Angel 234: The prospect of Cyrus alive and breathing has me wired with excitement.
2009		J. Joso Soothing Music for Stray Cats 178: All three seemed pretty wired, wide awake, bright eyed.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 233: I was still full-up wired [on drugs]. I couldn’t punch stop.

10. crazy.

1985		J. Wambaugh Secrets of Harry Bright (1986) 197: And he was drunk. Mean drunk with a wired look as though he had been mixing booze and crank.
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 89: The confrontation’s got me wired.

11. affected by cannabis.

1972		E. Folb Urban Black Argot 147: Wide / Wired to be ‘high’ on drugs.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 260: wired-up […] 2. High on any type of drug or marijuana.
1997		L. Davies Candy 256: Within two minutes I was wired beyond what was pleasant, and paranoid about having so much dope in a public place.
2002		T. Dorsey Triggerfish Twist (2002) 87: ‘How do you feel?’ asked Bernie. Coleman looked slowly around the room. ‘[...] numb, paralyzed, wired, [...].’.

12. see wire v. (5)