intoxicate

1 of 2

verb

in·​tox·​i·​cate in-ˈtäk-sə-ˌkāt How to pronounce intoxicate (audio)
intoxicated; intoxicating

transitive verb

1
a
: to excite or stupefy by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished
b
: to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy
2
: poison

intoxicate

2 of 2

adjective

in·​tox·​i·​cate in-ˈtäk-si-kət How to pronounce intoxicate (audio)

Did you know?

From scents to songs, many harmless things have the power to intoxicate. At least, that is, by today’s standards. The origins of intoxicate are less inviting. You might have guessed that intoxicate is related to toxic; both words trace back to the Latin noun toxicum, meaning "poison," and the earliest function of intoxicate was as an adjective describing something (such as the tip of an arrow) steeped in or smeared with poison. Toxicum turns up in the etymologies of a number of other English words including intoxicant ("something that intoxicates") and detoxify ("to remove a poison from"), and also in a number of names for various poisons themselves. Happily though, today you’re likelier to be intoxicated by Cupid’s arrow than—one hopes—by a poison dart.

Examples of intoxicate in a Sentence

Verb The little bit of beer I drank was not enough to intoxicate me. the stunning spectacle of this Las Vegas show is sure to intoxicate spectators
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
To tackle the growing health concerns associated with intoxicating hemp products, particularly those affecting children, Gov. Newsom enacted emergency regulations. Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 Without similar regulations, intoxicating hemp products can pose health risks to consumers. Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024
Adjective
In the intervening years, some manufacturers have found ways to make hemp products that intoxicate consumers without running afoul of the 2021 requirements. Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for intoxicate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intoxicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin intoxicatus, past participle of intoxicare, from Latin in- + toxicum poison — more at toxic

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1581, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intoxicate was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near intoxicate

Cite this Entry

“Intoxicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intoxicate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

intoxicate

verb
in·​tox·​i·​cate
in-ˈtäk-sə-ˌkāt
intoxicated; intoxicating
1
: to affect by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is much reduced
2
: to excite to enthusiasm or frenzy
Etymology

Verb

from Latin intoxicatus, past participle of intoxicare "to poison," from earlier in- "put into" and toxicum "poison," from Greek toxikon "arrow poison," from toxon "bow, arrow" — related to toxic, toxin

Word Origin
The Greek word toxon means "bow" or "arrow." From this came the Greek toxikon, meaning "a poison in which arrows are dipped." Toxikon was borrowed into Latin as toxicum, which gave rise to the Latin verb intoxicare, "to poison." The English word intoxicate comes from this Latin verb. Intoxicate originally meant "to poison" in English, but now it is almost never used with this meaning. It is related to the words toxic, meaning "poisonous," and toxin, meaning "a poison." Both of these words can also be traced to the Greek toxon.

Medical Definition

intoxicate

transitive verb
in·​tox·​i·​cate -sə-ˌkāt How to pronounce intoxicate (audio)
intoxicated; intoxicating
1
: poison
2
: to excite or stupefy by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished

Legal Definition

intoxicate

transitive verb
in·​tox·​i·​cate in-ˈtäk-sə-ˌkāt How to pronounce intoxicate (audio)
intoxicated; intoxicating
: to excite or stupefy by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished see also driving under the influence

More from Merriam-Webster on intoxicate

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