intoxicate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
intoxicates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intoxicated,
past participle, past
-
intoxicating
present participle
-
to affect temporarily with diminished physical and mental control by means of alcoholic liquor, a drug, or another substance, especially to excite or stupefy with liquor.
-
to make enthusiastic; elate strongly, as by intoxicants; exhilarate.
The prospect of success intoxicated him.
-
Pathology. to poison.
verb (used without object)
-
intoxicates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intoxicated,
past participle, past
-
intoxicating
present participle
adjective
verb
-
(of an alcoholic drink) to produce in (a person) a state ranging from euphoria to stupor, usually accompanied by loss of inhibitions and control; make drunk; inebriate
-
to stimulate, excite, or elate so as to overwhelm
-
(of a drug) to poison
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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intoxicatesimple
-
intoxicatessimple
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have intoxicatedperfect
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has intoxicatedperfect
-
am intoxicatingprogressive
-
are intoxicatingprogressive
-
is intoxicatingprogressive
-
have been intoxicatingperfect progressive
-
has been intoxicatingperfect progressive
Past
-
intoxicatedsimple
-
had intoxicatedperfect
-
was intoxicatingprogressive
-
were intoxicatingprogressive
-
had been intoxicatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intoxicate
1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin intoxicātus, past participle of intoxicāre to poison. See in- 2, toxic, -ate 1
Explanation
Alcohol's effect on most people, especially when they drink too much of it, is to intoxicate them. If you're not used to drinking, a glass of Champagne may intoxicate you. Beer, wine, and hard liquor can all intoxicate those who drink them. It's worth noting that in the fifteenth century, intoxicate meant "to poison." A less poisonous way to intoxicate is to "fill with delight or happiness." A gorgeous summer day might intoxicate you, or winning first prize in poetry contest.
Vocabulary lists containing intoxicate
"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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The Wind in the Willows
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Norse Mythology
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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.
See Examples For:
Many of Mr. Coppola’s recollections are sensory: roasted peppers, his grandma’s sizzling meatballs, a neighbor’s homemade wine sweetened with peaches—“smells and tastes that intoxicate me to this day.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Drawing breath for speech seems to intoxicate him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
In other words, it seems to intoxicate them in a way that makes them vulnerable.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2022
These aren’t pleasant feelings, but any strong and pure distillation, even of fear, can intoxicate us.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 28, 2020
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring; There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.’
From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
“I think that’s why there’s all this frenzy: The sound dominates you and intoxicates you.”
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
Abdul-Mateen, who won an Emmy for “Watchmen,” intoxicates with his exuberant Booth, both flashy and naïve.
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2022
The sweet smell of success intoxicates those who feel robbed of it.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 1, 2016
He readily acknowledges that applause intoxicates him as much as any performer and that awards are a great boost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2015
In the T-strap shoes of Long Island debutantes, the sparkling fringes of daring short skirts that swish and glide to music that intoxicates them more than the champagne.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
When it made its stateside debut in 1999, I was still intoxicated by the city’s proximity to mountains, old growth forests and water – so much of it, fresh or salty.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
The government did not allege that he was intoxicated while possessing the firearm, that he was addicted to marijuana, that he had ever threatened anyone, or that his gun ownership had resulted in any danger.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
The driver was not intoxicated, police said, but claimed his Tesla was operating at the time with "an automated driving assistance system."
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Now the law: The two sides agree the Founders had no problem barring intoxicated people from carrying guns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
They are both intoxicated with happiness, Mother with a relaxed smile, Dad with a grin so large it pokes out from under the corners of his mustache.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Whatnot struck gold by creating the perfect cocktail of the most intoxicating elements of 21st-century digital life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
No one captured the intoxicating possibilities of the 1980s better than Tyler.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
She described the first No Kings protest, which she had been initially nervous to attend, as an intoxicating experience.
From Slate ● May 4, 2026
Besson innovates with a subplot about Dracul’s foray into the world of perfume as he develops an intoxicating fragrance in Florence using French lavender, testing the potion on the pre-Revolution socialites in towering white-powdered wigs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
Lyra found her power over him almost intoxicating, and if Pantalaimon hadn’t nipped her hand sharply to remind her of the danger they were all in, she might have lost all her sense of proportion.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions 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.
