- past participle of intoxicate.
- past tense form of intoxicate.
intoxicated
Americanadjective
-
affected by a substance that intoxicates; drunk; inebriated.
-
mentally or emotionally exhilarated.
- Synonyms:
- enthralled, ecstatic, enrapt, rapturous, rapt
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intoxicated
First recorded in 1550–60; intoxicate + -ed 2
Compare meaning
How does intoxicated compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Someone who's intoxicated has had too much to drink. Visit an Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day and you're sure to see at least one intoxicated person. When you describe someone as intoxicated, you usually mean that he's been drinking alcoholic beverages until he feels dizzy and sick. You can also use the word to talk about someone who's really excited or happy about something: "She was intoxicated by Paris the minute she stepped off the airplane." Before intoxicated was first used to mean "drunk" in the 1570's, it meant "poisoned," which especially makes sense when you know the Latin root word, intoxicare, "to poison."
Vocabulary lists containing intoxicated
Three Little Words
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"The Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen
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Elf Dog and Owl Head
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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.
Newsom also signed AB 1685, which would increase the number of points against a driver’s record if they’re convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and with gross negligence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Organizers say they occasionally draw people who are intoxicated, having a bad day, or simply looking for someone to vent at.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
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
Sometimes Johnny felt so intoxicated by the mere sound of the words that he hardly followed the sense.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
