inebriated

IPA/ɪˈniːbrieɪtɪd/
KK[ˌɪnˈɛbriˌetəd]IPA/ɪˈniːbrieɪtɪd/

inebriated — adjective

  • inebriatedpositive
  • more inebriatedcomparative
  • most inebriatedsuperlative

1. in the state caused by drinking so much alcohol that one cannot speak, walk, or

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

in the state caused by drinking so much alcohol that one cannot speak, walk, or think clearly — a formal or humorous way of saying 'drunk'.

Example

By midnight, several guests at Mira's wedding were too inebriated to manage the stairs.

predicative use: 'too inebriated to + infinitive'

Kabir refused to drive home because he felt slightly inebriated after the dinner toasts.

modifier pattern: 'slightly/mildly inebriated'

Common collocations
  • highly inebriated
  • slightly inebriated
  • an inebriated state
  • an inebriated driver
  • appear inebriated
Synonyms
  • drunk

    everyday neutral word; 'inebriated' is the formal counterpart

  • intoxicated

    near-synonym, also formal; favoured in medical and legal writing

  • tipsy

    much milder — only slightly affected; not interchangeable with 'inebriated'

  • plastered

    very informal slang for heavily drunk; opposite register to 'inebriated'

Antonyms
  • sober

    not affected by alcohol at all

Usage Note

Formal or jocular replacement for 'drunk'; common in legal, journalistic, and polite contexts where 'drunk' would sound too blunt. Often modified by 'slightly', 'mildly', or 'highly'.

Common Mistakes

I felt inebriated after one beer.
I felt tipsy after one beer.
'inebriated' implies clearly impaired by alcohol, not just a mild buzz.
The party was inebriated.
The guests at the party were inebriated.
applies to people, not to events or places.

Word family

  • inebriate
    verbC2
  • inebriation
    nounC2
  • inebriety
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe someone affected by alcohol, but the register differs sharply. 'Drunk' is the everyday neutral term — used in conversation, novels, and journalism alike. 'Inebriated' and 'intoxicated' belong to formal contexts: court reports, medical notes, and polite news writing prefer them because 'drunk' can sound rude or judgmental. Of the two, 'intoxicated' is more clinical (it also covers drugs), while 'inebriated' often carries a faintly humorous, mock-formal tone, as in 'a charmingly inebriated wedding speech'. 'Tipsy' sits at the opposite end of severity — only slightly affected, often happily so; you would not call a falling-down drunk 'tipsy'. 'Plastered' is heavy slang for very drunk and would feel jarring in any formal setting where 'inebriated' fits.

drunk ↗intoxicated ↗tipsy ↗plastered ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in an inebriated state
  • appear inebriated
  • become inebriated

Etymology

LatinMiddle FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'inebriare' meaning 'to make drunk', built from 'in-' (used as an intensifier here) plus 'ebrius' meaning 'drunk' — the same root that gives English 'ebriety' and the rarer 'ebrious'. English borrowed it through Middle French in the 15th century, originally as a verb 'inebriate', with the adjective use 'inebriated' settling into formal English by the 17th century.