Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INTOXICATE
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pronounce
INTOXICATE:
Say it "in TOKS ih kate."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
To be intoxicated--literally or figuratively--pretty much looks like this.
It's to be excited, stupefied, drunk, impassioned, delirious, enraptured, or otherwise have some sort of happy flame of excitement k___led within you.
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definition:
A toxin, or something toxic, is poisonous: it has the power to make people (or animals) sick, or even kill them.
In its most literal sense, to intoxicate people is to poison them. But we don't often use that meaning anymore today.
Today, when we say that something intoxicates people, we usually mean that it makes people drunk, or that it makes people act like they're drunk: that is, they act very excited and stupid, as if they can't see, speak, or think clearly.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, usually the transitive kind: "The music intoxicated him;" "The power intoxicated her."
Other common forms:
Intoxicated, intoxicating, intoxication.
how to use it:
This word is common and formal.
When we use it literally, often in official, legal contexts, the tone is often negative: "She was arrested for driving while intoxicated;" "He was found guilty of public intoxication."
But when we use it figuratively, the tone is positive, even whimsical, and it provides a fun alternative to synonyms like "excited" and "animated:" "She was intoxicated by his smile;" "He found the music intoxicating."
examples:
"She intoxicated him: he was breathing her, sensing her through the pores of his skin."
— Neil Gaiman, Stardust, 1997
"They worked long hours and bonded over crazy customer stories, intoxicated by the energy of the company."
— Zoe Schiffer, The Verge, 5 December 2019
has this page helped you understand "intoxicate"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "intoxicate" without saying "excite" or "fire up."
try it out:
Talk about something (or someone) that intoxicated you: something that put stars in your eyes and made you dizzy with happy excitement.
Maybe it was your first love, or a place you vacationed, or a new career you felt called to, or a concert you attended, or a poem or song that seemed to wrap itself around your heart.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Perfectly Cromulent Words!
In each issue this month, match a scene from The Simpsons to the term that it calls to mind.
To see the answer, scroll to the bottom of the issue.
Try this one today:
Does the scene below suggest the word ambiguous, anecdotal, or antebellum?
review this word:
A. BORED.
B. HEALED.
C. CLEANED.
2. In The Great Santini, Pat Conroy wrote, "He was intoxicated with an overabundance of free time and his whole frame trembled and fidgeted with _____."
A. fear
B. anxiety
C. impatience
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
To be intoxicated--literally or figuratively--pretty much looks like this.
A toxin, or something toxic, is poisonous: it has the power to make people (or animals) sick, or even kill them.
Part of speech:
This word is common and formal.
"She intoxicated him: he was breathing her, sensing her through the pores of his skin."
Explain the meaning of "intoxicate" without saying "excite" or "fire up."
Talk about something (or someone) that intoxicated you: something that put stars in your eyes and made you dizzy with happy excitement.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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