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
Examples of intoxicate in a Sentence
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2024
While the liquor accords of the past could often smell cheap and sickly sweet, the emergence of these artisanal versions has completely now feel unique, comforting, and yes, intoxicating—delivering all the appeal of these notes without the hangover.
—Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2024
At a hearing in late July, Timberlake’s attorney disputed that the performer was intoxicated, arguing he should not have been arrested.
—Sarah Boxer and Kristina Sgueglia, CNN, 2 Aug. 2024
Update: The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 27-year-old man for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and for his involvement in Tuesday evening's crash on the east side of the city.
—Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 23 July 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.
Dictionary Entries Near intoxicate
Cite this Entry
“Intoxicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intoxicate. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Legal Definition
intoxicate
transitive verb
Share