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Synonyms

intoxication

American  
[in-tok-si-key-shuhn] / ɪnˌtɒk sɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. inebriation; drunkenness.

  2. an act or instance of intoxicating.

  3. overpowering exhilaration or excitement of the mind or emotions.

  4. Pathology. poisoning.

intoxication British  
/ ɪnˌtɒksɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

  1. drunkenness; inebriation

  2. great elation

  3. the act of intoxicating

  4. poisoning

"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

Other Word Forms

  • self-intoxication noun
  • semi-intoxication noun

Etymology

Origin of intoxication

1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin intoxicātiōn- (stem of intoxicātiō ) a poisoning. See intoxicate, -ion

Vocabulary lists containing intoxication

"Watching New Love as It Sears the Brain," Vocabulary from the article

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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.

Despite this regular intake, bees and birds consume the alcohol gradually throughout the day and do not show clear signs of intoxication.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

To someone unfamiliar with the condition, all could be mistaken for intoxication, defiance or guilt.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Sensors in the steering wheel and cabin will analyze a driver’s eye and head movements, as well as driving patterns, for signs of intoxication, drowsiness or other impairments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

In one study published in the same journal, negative side effects included increased sensitivity to noise but not actual intoxication.

From Slate • Aug. 11, 2024

They speak of small things: the intoxication of kola nut, or how no food hath tasted right for these twenty years without palm oil.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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.