inebriate

[ verb in-ee-bree-eyt; noun, adjective in-ee-bree-it ]
See synonyms for: inebriateinebriatedinebriatesinebriating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),in·e·bri·at·ed, in·e·bri·at·ing.
  1. to make drunk; intoxicate.

  2. to exhilarate, confuse, or stupefy mentally or emotionally.

noun
  1. an intoxicated person.

  2. a habitual drinker of alcohol who is frequently intoxicated.

adjective

Origin of inebriate

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin inēbriātus, past participle of inēbriāre “to make drunk,” equivalent to in- intensive prefix + ēbri(us) “drunk” + -ātus past participle suffix; see in-2, -ate1

synonym study For inebriate

Inebriate and drunkard are terms for a person who drinks heavily or drinks hard liquors habitually. Drunkard is a judgmental label that connotes willful indulgence to excess. Inebriate is a formal term that sounds more factual or neutral than the stigmatizing label drunkard. Dipsomaniac is a rare, older term for a person who, because of some psychological or physiological illness, has an irresistible craving for liquor. Today, the dipsomaniac is more commonly called an alcoholic —another label that is judgmental and sometimes offensive. Rather than using either of those labels, it is more sensitive and accurate to describe such an individual as a person with alcohol use disorder, or a person who has alcoholism .

Other words from inebriate

  • in·e·bri·a·tion, noun
  • un·in·e·bri·at·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use inebriate in a sentence

  • There must have been something inebriating in Lady Pollacke's tea.

    Memoirs of a Midget | Walter de la Mare

British Dictionary definitions for inebriate

inebriate

verb(ɪnˈiːbrɪˌeɪt) (tr)
  1. to make drunk; intoxicate

  2. to arouse emotionally; make excited

noun(ɪnˈiːbrɪɪt)
  1. a person who is drunk, esp habitually

adjective(ɪnˈiːbrɪɪt) inebriated
  1. drunk, esp habitually

Origin of inebriate

1
C15: from Latin inēbriāre, from in- ² + ēbriāre to intoxicate, from ēbrius drunk

Derived forms of inebriate

  • inebriation, noun
  • inebriety (ˌɪnɪˈbraɪɪtɪ), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012