intoxicated

1 of 2

adjective

in·​tox·​i·​cat·​ed in-ˈtäk-sə-ˌkā-təd 

1

: affected by alcohol or drugs especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished

especially : drunk

2

: emotionally excited, elated, or exhilarated (as by great joy or extreme pleasure)

… the traveler who has become intoxicated by the vision of Serengeti's exotic animals …

—Harold Hayes

intoxicatedly

in-ˈtäk-sə-ˌkā-təd-lē 

adverb

intoxicated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of intoxicate entry 1

Synonyms of intoxicated

Adjective

• drunk
• drunken
• impaired

Examples of intoxicated in a Sentence

Adjective

He appeared to be very intoxicated.

Driving while intoxicated is illegal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Three weeks into the season last year, an intoxicated woman blew a stop sign at 55+, plowing into my son's vehicle. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Importantly, the peak THC concentration among study participants, taken by blood tests at two and five hours post-exposure, were near or below the common thresholds for laws against intoxicated driving. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026

Following an investigation, the unnamed driver was taken into custody and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing injury (a second offense), with a minor inside the vehicle. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Your eyes will thank you College students often fall asleep without removing their contacts, especially when exhausted from late-night studying or over-intoxicated from partying. — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for intoxicated

• abbreviated
• accelerated
• accentuated
• accommodated
• acculturated
• accumulated
• acidulated
• adjudicated
• administrated
• adulterated
• affiliated
• agglomerated

Medical Definition

intoxicated

adjective

in·​tox·​i·​cat·​ed -sə-ˌkāt-əd 

: affected by an intoxicant and especially by alcohol