inebriate

1 of 3

noun

in·​ebri·​ate i-ˈnē-brē-ət How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
: one who is drunk
especially : drunkard

inebriate

2 of 3

verb

in·​ebri·​ate i-ˈnē-brē-ˌāt How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
inebriated; inebriating

transitive verb

1
: to make drunk : intoxicate
2
: to exhilarate or stupefy as if by liquor
inebriation noun

inebriate

3 of 3

adjective

in·​ebri·​ate i-ˈnē-brē-ət How to pronounce inebriate (audio) -ˌāt How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
1
: affected by alcohol : drunk
2
: addicted to excessive drinking

Examples of inebriate in a Sentence

Noun having performed in countless bars and clubs, the stand-up comedian was used to being heckled by inebriates in the back of the house Adjective those inebriate sports fans who yell and scream throughout the game
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
One of American drama's most intriguing case studies, Hickey is the hardware salesman who returns to his old tawdry haunt not on one of his periodic benders but on a mission to reform the resident inebriates of their belief in a better tomorrow. Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 10 May 2018 The group proposed extending the winter shelter through May, boosting treatment for serial inebriates and reporting all homeless incidents and issues to a single coordinator. Jeff McDonald, sandiegouniontribune.com, 1 Oct. 2017
Verb
In the film, Rona is often inebriated and completely unaware of how her constant drinking impacts those around her. Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024 This celebration is no different than St. Patrick’s Day — an event where people flood downtown, often inebriated, and disrupt traffic, make noise and draw national media coverage, and everyone proudly proclaims to be Irish for the day. Luis Guiterrez, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Or simply to help other individuals in dire straits — like the widow (Whitney Morgan Cox) and daughter (Veda Cienfuegos) of that inebriate driver, their current plight worsened by the bankruptcy brought on by a Bernie Madoff-like financial predator? Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2023 The money covers additional shelter beds, more street outreach, rapid rehousing, safe parking and the serial inebriate program. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for inebriate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inebriate.' 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 inebryat, from Latin inebriatus, past participle of inebriare, from in- + ebriare to intoxicate, from ebrius drunk

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1796, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near inebriate

Cite this Entry

“Inebriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inebriate. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

inebriate

1 of 2 noun
ine·​bri·​ate
in-ˈē-brē-ət
: a person who is drunk
especially : drunkard

inebriate

2 of 2 adjective
ine·​bri·​ate
in-ˈē-brē-ət,
-ˌāt

Medical Definition

inebriate

1 of 3 transitive verb
ine·​bri·​ate in-ˈē-brē-ˌāt How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
inebriated; inebriating
: to make drunk : intoxicate
inebriation noun

inebriate

2 of 3 adjective
ine·​bri·​ate in-ˈē-brē-ət How to pronounce inebriate (audio) -ˌāt How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
1
: affected by alcohol : drunk
2
: addicted to excessive drinking

inebriate

3 of 3 noun
ine·​bri·​ate -ət How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
: one who is drunk
especially : drunkard

More from Merriam-Webster on inebriate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!