inebriate

1 of 3

noun

in·​ebri·​ate i-ˈnē-brē-ət How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
: one who is drunk
especially : drunkard

inebriate

2 of 3

verb

in·​ebri·​ate i-ˈnē-brē-ˌāt How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
inebriated; inebriating

transitive verb

1
: to make drunk : intoxicate
2
: to exhilarate or stupefy as if by liquor
inebriation noun

inebriate

3 of 3

adjective

in·​ebri·​ate i-ˈnē-brē-ət How to pronounce inebriate (audio) -ˌāt How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
1
: affected by alcohol : drunk
2
: addicted to excessive drinking

Examples of inebriate in a Sentence

Noun having performed in countless bars and clubs, the stand-up comedian was used to being heckled by inebriates in the back of the house Adjective those inebriate sports fans who yell and scream throughout the game
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
One of American drama's most intriguing case studies, Hickey is the hardware salesman who returns to his old tawdry haunt not on one of his periodic benders but on a mission to reform the resident inebriates of their belief in a better tomorrow. Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 10 May 2018 The group proposed extending the winter shelter through May, boosting treatment for serial inebriates and reporting all homeless incidents and issues to a single coordinator. Jeff McDonald, sandiegouniontribune.com, 1 Oct. 2017
Verb
The plan: score enough alcohol to inebriate a house party full of teens and convince their crushes to sleep with them. Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024 The letter alleged that Cohen appeared inebriated and invited her to watch via FaceTime. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 King previously came under scrutiny for her appearance and performance last month during Nashville’s televised New Year’s Eve celebration, New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, with some online commenters questioning if she were inebriated. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2024 Remedy One of those sacrificial murders was none other than Agent Nightingale, whom fans will remember as the trigger-happy, typically inebriated ex-FBI agent from the first game. Sarah Leboeuf, Ars Technica, 13 June 2023 Its status as the looser and visibly inebriated younger cousin of the Oscars offered a counterweight to the self-serious, self-congratulatory exercise of the film academy’s annual ceremony and the seemingly endless parade of precursor events. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2024 Not only was our team inebriated and messed up from all their interpersonal dynamics and everything that’s going on, the city around them is as well. Monique Newman, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2023 The driver of the car, Henri Paul — who was later found to be inebriated — turned into a tunnel that ran next to the Seine River in an attempt to evade the photographers. Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 This person also denied that Kissel was ever inebriated at the Milwaukee airport. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2023
Adjective
Or simply to help other individuals in dire straits — like the widow (Whitney Morgan Cox) and daughter (Veda Cienfuegos) of that inebriate driver, their current plight worsened by the bankruptcy brought on by a Bernie Madoff-like financial predator? Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2023 The money covers additional shelter beds, more street outreach, rapid rehousing, safe parking and the serial inebriate program. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2023 Other programs slated for enhanced funding include street outreach, rapid rehousing, safe parking and the serial inebriate program. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2023 Nonetheless, Basir keeps us involved in this inebriate antihero’s water-treading, using Detroit as a kind of falsely glittering aquarium — all subterranean neon lights and sleek newness, though evidence of past miseries lies just beneath. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023 Segovia was booked into the inebriate center detention facility at the Dallas City Marshal's office on Chestnut Street. Maria Elena Vizcaino, Dallas News, 8 July 2019 His slightly inebriate charm has become a consistent moviegoing pleasure. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 12 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inebriate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English inebryat, from Latin inebriatus, past participle of inebriare, from in- + ebriare to intoxicate, from ebrius drunk

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1796, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inebriate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near inebriate

Cite this Entry

“Inebriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inebriate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inebriate

1 of 2 noun
ine·​bri·​ate
in-ˈē-brē-ət
: a person who is drunk
especially : drunkard

inebriate

2 of 2 adjective
ine·​bri·​ate
in-ˈē-brē-ət,
-ˌāt

Medical Definition

inebriate

1 of 3 transitive verb
ine·​bri·​ate in-ˈē-brē-ˌāt How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
inebriated; inebriating
: to make drunk : intoxicate
inebriation noun

inebriate

2 of 3 adjective
ine·​bri·​ate in-ˈē-brē-ət How to pronounce inebriate (audio) -ˌāt How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
1
: affected by alcohol : drunk
2
: addicted to excessive drinking

inebriate

3 of 3 noun
ine·​bri·​ate -ət How to pronounce inebriate (audio)
: one who is drunk
especially : drunkard

More from Merriam-Webster on inebriate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!