A voltage application device for being included in a discharge device, the voltage application device comprising a voltage application circuit that causes a discharge electrode of the discharge device to generate a discharge by applying an application voltage to a load including the discharge electrode holding a liquid, wherein the voltage application circuit periodically changes a magnitude of the application voltage to intermittently generate the discharge, and the liquid vibrates mechanically in accordance with a discharge cycle defined by a frequency of the periodic changes, characterized in that the frequency of the periodic changes of the application voltage is set to a value within a predetermined range including a resonance frequency of the liquid, and the magnitude of the application voltage is periodically changed so as to monotonically increase up to a maximum voltage (α) reached at a first time point, then monotonically decrease to reach a minimum voltage, before being raised again to the maximum voltage (α) in a next cycle, the voltage application circuit applies a maintaining voltage, for suppressing excessive contraction of the liquid, to the load in addition to the application voltage in an intermittent period from generation of the discharge to generation of a next discharge, and a magnitude (β) of the sum of the application voltage and the maintaining voltage applied to the load at a second time point which is a time point after an elapse of a time of 1/10 of the discharge cycle from the first time point is more than or equal to 2/3 of the maximum voltage (α) applied to the load at the first time point when a discharge is generated. a voltage application circuit that causes a discharge electrode of the discharge device to generate a discharge by applying an application voltage to a load including the discharge electrode holding a liquid, wherein the voltage application circuit periodically changes a magnitude of the application voltage to intermittently generate the discharge, and the liquid vibrates mechanically in accordance with a discharge cycle defined by a frequency of the periodic changes, characterized in that the frequency of the periodic changes of the application voltage is set to a value within a predetermined range including a resonance frequency of the liquid, and the magnitude of the application voltage is periodically changed so as to monotonically increase up to a maximum voltage (α) reached at a first time point, then monotonically decrease to reach a minimum voltage, before being raised again to the maximum voltage (α) in a next cycle, the voltage application circuit applies a maintaining voltage, for suppressing excessive contraction of the liquid, to the load in addition to the application voltage in an intermittent period from generation of the discharge to generation of a next discharge, and a magnitude (β) of the sum of the application voltage and the maintaining voltage applied to the load at a second time point which is a time point after an elapse of a time of 1/10 of the discharge cycle from the first time point is more than or equal to 2/3 of the maximum voltage (α) applied to the load at the first time point when a discharge is generated.