INTOXICATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does intoxicate mean? 

• INTOXICATE (verb)
  The verb INTOXICATE has 3 senses:

1. fill with high spirits; fill with optimism

2. make drunk (with alcoholic drinks)

3. have an intoxicating effect on, of a drug

  Familiarity information: INTOXICATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INTOXICATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they intoxicate    ... he / she / it intoxicates   
Past simple: intoxicated   
Past participle: intoxicated   
-ing form: intoxicating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fill with high spirits; fill with optimism

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

elate; intoxicate; lift up; pick up; uplift

Context example:

Music can uplift your spirits

Hypernyms (to "intoxicate" is one way to...):

excite; shake; shake up; stimulate; stir (stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of)

Cause:

joy; rejoice (feel happiness or joy)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "intoxicate"):

beatify (make blessedly happy)

puff (make proud or conceited)

beatify; exalt; exhilarate; inebriate; thrill; tickle pink (fill with sublime emotion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence examples:

The good news will intoxicate her
The performance is likely to intoxicate Sue

Derivation:

intoxication (excitement and elation beyond the bounds of sobriety)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make drunk (with alcoholic drinks)

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

inebriate; intoxicate; soak

Hypernyms (to "intoxicate" is one way to...):

affect (act physically on; have an effect upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "intoxicate"):

befuddle; fuddle (make stupid with alcohol)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

intoxicant (a liquor or brew containing alcohol as the active agent)

intoxication (a temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Have an intoxicating effect on, of a drug

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "intoxicate" is one way to...):

poison (administer poison to)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

intoxicant (a drug that can produce a state of intoxication)

intoxicant (causing intoxication)

intoxication (a temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol)

intoxication (the physiological state produced by a poison or other toxic substance)

 Context examples 

Stx cleaves ribosomal RNA, thereby disrupting protein synthesis and killing the intoxicated epithelial or endothelial cells.

(Pathogenic Escherichia coli Infection Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Have you drunk also of the intoxicating draught?

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

“Is it fair to break a dozen hearts in order to intoxicate one with rapture? I’m off to the Continent next week.”

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Also called intoxicating pepper, rauschpfeffer, tonga, and yangona.

(Kava kava, NCI Dictionary)

Intoxicating pepper may increase the effect of alcohol and of certain drugs used to treat anxiety and depression.

(Intoxicating pepper, NCI Dictionary)

People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.

(Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

It delighted his ear, and he grew intoxicated with the repetition of it.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

In many places the ground was absolutely covered with them, and as we walked ankle-deep on that wonderful yielding carpet, the scent was almost intoxicating in its sweetness and intensity.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was intoxicated with joy.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises users that intoxicating pepper may cause severe liver damage.

(Intoxicating pepper, NCI Dictionary)