Synonyms

intoxicated

American

[in-tok-si-key-tid] / ɪnˈtɒk sɪˌkeɪ tɪd /

adjective

affected by a substance that intoxicates; drunk; inebriated.
mentally or emotionally exhilarated.

Synonyms:

enthralled, ecstatic, enrapt, rapturous, rapt

Other Word Forms

half-intoxicated adjective
intoxicatedly adverb
semi-intoxicated adjective
unintoxicated adjective

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:

inebriated vs. intoxicated

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing intoxicated

Three Little Words

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"The Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Elf Dog and Owl Head

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

Pop superstar Britney Spears was released from police custody Thursday morning after being arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated near Los Angeles, according to legal filings and US media reports.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 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

To actually feel intoxicated, a chimp would need to eat so much fruit that its stomach would become painfully distended.

From Science Daily • Dec. 1, 2025

The casting reflects the distinct identities and histories of the members, each offering something different to lovelorn girls and copycat boys so intoxicated by Beatlemania.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2025

Lyra was intoxicated; not about the North this time, but about London, and the restaurants and ballrooms, the soirées at embassies or ministries, the intrigues between White Hall and Westminster.

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