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intoxicate

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intoxicate¹

  • /ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt/ UK
  • /ɪnˈtɑksɪkeɪt/ US

Where it comes from

First attested in 1450, in Middle English; from Middle English intoxicaten, from intoxicat(e) (“(of a weapon or drug) smeared, anointed or filled with poison; (of a human being, animal) poisoned, intoxicated”, also used as the past participle of intoxicaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from intoxicātus, perfect passive participle of intoxicō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Late Latin toxicō (“to smear, anoint with poison”), from toxicus (“toxic, poisonous”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón). By surface analysis, in- + toxic + -ate.

verb intoxicates · intoxicating · intoxicated

  1. To stupefy by doping with chemical substances such as alcohol.

    Similar: drunken, get drunk, inebriate

  2. To excite to enthusiasm or madness.

    Similar: awaken, exhilarate, animate, electrify, enflame, enkindle, enthrill, exagitate, excite, exsuscitate, fillip, fire

intoxicate²

  • /ɪnˈtɒksɪkət/ UK
  • /ɪnˈtɑksɪkət/ US

Where it comes from

First attested in 1425, in Middle English; from Middle English intoxicat(e) (“(of a weapon or drug) smeared, anointed or filled with poison; (of a human being, animal) poisoned, intoxicated”, also used as the past participle of intoxicaten), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. The noun was derived by substantivization from the adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).

adjective more intoxicate · most intoxicate

  1. obsolete Inebriated, intoxicated.

    Similar: chemically inconvenienced, Adrian Quist, adrip, aled up, all mops and brooms, arseholed, a sheet in the wind, a sheet in the wind's eye, bedrunken, befuddled, beliquored, besotted

  2. obsolete Overexcited, as with joy or grief. Alas, good mother, be not intoxicate for me; / I am well enough.

    Similar: fever-pitched, highwrought, animated, ardent, avid, big [⇒ thesaurus] [on], bubbly, eager, earnest, ebullient, energetic, enthusiastic

  3. obsolete, of a weapon or drug Empoisoned, smeared with poison, rendered poisonous.
  4. obsolete Killed by poison.
  5. obsolete, of a disease Caused by poison.

noun intoxicates

  1. obsolete One who is intoxicated.

Translations

Every language

verb To stupefy by doping with chemical substances such as alcohol

Españolintoxicar, atosigar, atoxicar, entosigar, entosicar (disused), tosigar (disused)
한국어취하게 하다 chwihage hada
日本語酔わせる yowaseru
中文使醉 shǐ zuì, 醉人 zuì rén
Portuguêsintoxicar
Françaisintoxiquer
Deutschberauschen, vergiften
Italianoinebriare, ubriacare
Ελληνικάμεθάω metháo, μεθώ methó
Românăintoxica
Русскийопьяня́ть opʹjanjátʹ, пьяни́ть pʹjanítʹ, опьяни́ть opʹjanítʹ, отравля́ть otravljátʹ, отрави́ть otravítʹ
العربيةأَسْكَرَ ʔaskara
עבריתסִמֵּם simmém, שִׁכֵּר shikkér

verb to excite to enthusiasm or madness

Deutschberauschen

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Cite this
MLA

"intoxicate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/intoxicate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

intoxicate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/intoxicate

Chicago

"intoxicate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/intoxicate.

BibTeX
@misc{intoxicate_2026,
  title = {intoxicate},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/intoxicate},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}