intoxicate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɪnˈtɑksəˌkeɪt/ UK /ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to make drunk; to excite or elate beyond self-control

The applause seemed to intoxicate the young singer.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make drunk; to excite or... inebriate exhilarate elate stupefy befuddle enrapture

Opposites

sober depress

Word family

Derived forms intoxicationintoxicantintoxicated

Related forms toxic toxindetoxify

Simplified etymology

Intoxicate entered English in the late Middle English period and comes from Latin toxicum, meaning “a poison.” Its association with the effects of alcohol is recorded from the late 16th century.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin intoxicatus, past participle of intoxicare ('to poison'), from in- ('into') + toxicare ('to poison'), from Latin toxicum ('poison'), from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) ('poison for arrows').

intoxicare Latin toxikón Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# intoxicate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈtɑksəˌkeɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt/

## Meanings
1. to make drunk; to excite or elate beyond self-control

## Examples
- The applause seemed to intoxicate the young singer.

## Synonyms
- inebriate
- exhilarate
- elate
- stupefy
- befuddle
- enrapture

## Antonyms
- sober
- depress

## Derived Forms
- intoxication
- intoxicant
- intoxicated

## Related Forms
- toxic
- toxin
- detoxify

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: intoxicare
- Root: toxikón

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin intoxicatus, past participle of intoxicare ('to poison'), from in- ('into') + toxicare ('to poison'), from Latin toxicum ('poison'), from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) ('poison for arrows').

## AI Etymology
intoxicate comes from Medieval Latin intoxicatus, past participle of intoxicare ('to poison'), from in- ('into') + toxicare ('to poison'), from Latin toxicum ('poison'), from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) ('poison for arrows'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the verb sense is "to make drunk; to excite or elate beyond self-control", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as toxic, toxin, and detoxify, and in derivatives such as intoxication, intoxicant, and intoxicated. Its semantic neighborhood includes inebriate, exhilarate, elate, and stupefy, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin intoxicare and Ancient Greek toxikón.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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