- present participle of intoxicate.
intoxicating
Americanadjective
-
causing or capable of causing intoxication.
intoxicating beverages.
-
exhilarating; exciting.
an intoxicating idea.
adjective
-
(of an alcoholic drink) producing in a person a state ranging from euphoria to stupor, usually accompanied by loss of inhibitions and control; inebriating
-
stimulating, exciting, or producing great elation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intoxicating
First recorded in 1625–35; intoxicat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
Something that's intoxicating is exciting and a bit disorienting. The intoxicating smell of your mom's lasagna might make you forget momentarily that you said you'd meet a friend for pizza. The adjective intoxicating is perfect for describing things that exhilarate or thrill you. The sound of an audience cheering for you at your accordion concert might feel intoxicating, and a ride on a roller coaster can also be wonderfully intoxicating. A more literal meaning of intoxicating is "making one drunk," and the word itself comes from a Latin root, "to poison."
Vocabulary lists containing intoxicating
The Haunting of Hill House
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The Battle of the Labyrinth
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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When most comics walk on stage before a roaring audience at a sold-out show, as if they’re the star of their own movie, it is intoxicating for them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“There was something heady and intoxicating about the feeling of riding on a cloud that even the most logical and rational. . . could not deny.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
These people have tangible passion and intoxicating energy for what they do.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
The cricket was exhilarating, the atmosphere intoxicating and results - for a short while - sensational.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Her voice was intoxicating: soothing, sweet, musical, and young, too.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
