inebriated

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ebri·​at·​ed i-ˈnē-brē-ˌā-təd 

: exhilarated or confused by or as if by alcohol : intoxicated entry 1

inebriated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of inebriate entry 2

Synonyms of inebriated

Adjective

• drunk
• drunken

Examples of inebriated in a Sentence

Adjective

Three cowboys, complete with hats and six-shooters, were downing beer and blasting away at empty cans and an old television set.  … Their voices—and their aim—made it clear they were totally inebriated. —Warren Faidley, Storm Chaser, 1996

The creamery manager, it seems, staggered to his car, but was too inebriated to even start the engine … —Edna O'Brien, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 1989

Monty Python's Terry Jones—a medieval scholar as well as an accomplished lunatic—springs from the tradition of Andersen and the brothers Grimm like a slightly inebriated chameleon, adding new color and his own whacky humor to the classic style and form of the fairy tale. —Carol Van Strum, New York Times Book Review, 16 Jan. 1983

He was clearly inebriated when he left the bar.

after a night spent partying, the fraternity brothers were all severely inebriated

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Social media and Reddit are full of enthusiasts ready to move right in — including quite a few who are possibly too inebriated to settle on an actual television show. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026

The woman told Politico that Platner came to her home uninvited and in an inebriated state in 2021 and forcibly had sex with her. — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Police said Gillum himself was too inebriated to talk about what happened. — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

The inebriated father who sometimes leapt upon his sleeping children, fists flailing? — Jason Prokowiew, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see inebriate entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

1609, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inebriated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated

Kids Definition

inebriated

adjective

ine·​bri·​at·​ed

in-ˈē-brē-ˌāt-əd

: affected by or as if by alcohol : being intoxicated

inebriation

-ˌē-brē-ˈā-shən

noun