intoxicating

[ in-tok-si-key-ting ]

adjective

1. causing or capable of causing intoxication:

   intoxicating beverages.

2. exhilarating; exciting:

   an intoxicating idea.

intoxicating

/ ɪnˈtɒksɪˌkeɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of an alcoholic drink) producing in a person a state ranging from euphoria to stupor, usually accompanied by loss of inhibitions and control; inebriating
2. stimulating, exciting, or producing great elation

Derived Forms

• inˈtoxiˌcatingly, adverb

Other Words From

• in·toxi·cating·ly adverb
• nonin·toxi·cating adjective
• nonin·toxi·cating·ly adverb
• unin·toxi·cating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of intoxicating¹

First recorded in 1625–35; intoxicat(e) + -ing ²

Example Sentences

With Gov. Gavin Newsom pushing emergency regulations on hemp products that contain intoxicating levels of THC, some worry a zero-tolerance approach will imperil a burgeoning industry.

From Los Angeles Times

Intoxicating hemp sodas quickly became available in liquor stores, bars, and restaurants in some states, whereas Amsterdam-style cannabis cafés have faced protracted struggles in some of the same states.

From Slate

Legal-cannabis states generally impose limits on potency, ban sales to minors, and ban kid-friendly advertising, like labels with cartoon characters, but these rules didn’t initially apply to intoxicating hemp products, and states had to catch up.

From Slate

She becomes more visible as she develops this intoxicating taste for murder because what can be more visible, more permanent than taking a person’s life?

From Los Angeles Times

And then, like the darkly swirling whirlpool they are, the inevitable maelstrom of hatred brews, and the Scorpio delivers their most important lesson of all: that lust and obsession, however intoxicating and world-altering, are light-years away from love.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• exciting
• exhilarating
• heady
• stimulating