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 (V1) to a load including the discharge electrode holding a liquid , wherein the voltage application circuit periodically changes a magnitude of the application voltage (V1) to intermittently generate the discharge, and the liquid vibrates mechanically in accordance with a discharge cycle (T1) defined by a frequency of the periodic changes, characterized in that the frequency of the periodic changes of the application voltage (V1) is set to a value within a predetermined range including a resonance frequency of the liquid , and the magnitude of the application voltage (V1) is periodically changed so as to monotonically increase up to a maximum voltage (α) reached at a first time point (t1), 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 (V2), for suppressing excessive contraction of the liquid , to the load in addition to the application voltage (V1) in an intermittent period (T2) from generation of the discharge to generation of a next discharge, and a magnitude (β) of the sum of the application voltage (V1) and the maintaining voltage (V2) applied to the load at a second time point (t2) which is a time point after an elapse of a time of 1/10 of the discharge cycle (T1) from the first time point (t1) is more than or equal to 2/3 of the maximum voltage (α) applied to the load at the first time point (t1) 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 (V1) to a load including the discharge electrode holding a liquid , wherein the voltage application circuit periodically changes a magnitude of the application voltage (V1) to intermittently generate the discharge, and the liquid vibrates mechanically in accordance with a discharge cycle (T1) defined by a frequency of the periodic changes, characterized in that the frequency of the periodic changes of the application voltage (V1) is set to a value within a predetermined range including a resonance frequency of the liquid , and the magnitude of the application voltage (V1) is periodically changed so as to monotonically increase up to a maximum voltage (α) reached at a first time point (t1), 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 (V2), for suppressing excessive contraction of the liquid , to the load in addition to the application voltage (V1) in an intermittent period (T2) from generation of the discharge to generation of a next discharge, and a magnitude (β) of the sum of the application voltage (V1) and the maintaining voltage (V2) applied to the load at a second time point (t2) which is a time point after an elapse of a time of 1/10 of the discharge cycle (T1) from the first time point (t1) is more than or equal to 2/3 of the maximum voltage (α) applied to the load at the first time point (t1) when a discharge is generated. <EOS>