intoxicate

1 of 2

verb

in·​tox·​i·​cate in-ˈtäk-sə-ˌkāt 

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 

archaic

: intoxicated sense 1

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.

Synonyms

Verb

• charge
• electrify
• excite
• exhilarate
• galvanize
• pump up
• thrill
• titillate
• turn on

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

The lines wrapped around the block and the anticipation was intoxicating. —Angel Diaz, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2024

The teen driver in last week's Brent Spence Bridge crash was intoxicated, according to court records. —Max Filby, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024

Sleep deprivation can also impact our memory and cognition; studies have shown that driving on little sleep can be as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. —TIME, 18 Mar. 2024

Good Samaritans try to save Brooks Prosecutors continued to play short clips of videos after Brooks, who was intoxicated, was forced out of the suspects' car in the middle of Burbank Drive in the early morning hours of Jan. 15. —Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 13 Mar. 2024

Nonetheless, Johnson is smart, and recognizes how the instant fame can be intoxicating, yet fleeting. —Jasmine Browley, Essence, 6 Mar. 2024

Reid, who was convicted of driving while intoxicated and causing a crash that severely injured a 5-year-old girl, anticipated being released April 30 due to time served and completing an intensive treatment program while in custody, said Katie McClaflin, Reid’s attorney. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024

Burgess alleged Barnes mishandled finances during his tenure as county GOP chair, and Barnes accused her of being intoxicated during a 2020 appraisal district meeting. —Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024

Balance is particularly a problem considering that the leading cause of injuries among adults ages 65 and older — and studies suggest falls while intoxicated tend to be more severe, Koob said. —Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

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

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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 

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 

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