inebriate means intoxicated; drunk. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 74 out of 100.
inebriate is pronounced /ɪˈniːbɹiət/.
Why “inebriate” is a great word
INEBRIATE — [Adjective, Noun, Verb] Intoxicated; a person habitually intoxicated; to cause drunkenness or to stupefy as if by alcohol. From Latin inēbriāre ("to make drunk"), from in- ("in, into") + ēbrius ("drunk"), first attested in English in the late 15th century. Unlike "intoxicate," which denotes a chemical action, or "drunkard," a blunt common label, "inebriate" as a verb carries a wider, metaphorical stupefaction, and as a noun, a formal, diagnostic gravity for the chronic condition. It is the chemical glaze in a barfly’s eyes, the reckless giddiness of a mind drunk on newfound power, and the slow, ruinous sedimentation of a life in bottles—a word that maps the weary architecture of dissolution.
Etymology
From Latin inēbriō, inēbriāre, from ēbrius (“drunk”).
adj
- intoxicated; drunk“Victoria, on the other hand, has apparently become more inebriate, as, according to the figures, arrests for drunkenness within her boundaries, in proportion to the population, increased from 12 per 1,000 in 1880 to 16½ in 1890 and nearly 16 in 1891; but even the latter proportions were still lower than in New South Wales during the same periods.”
noun
- A person who is intoxicated, especially one who is habitually drunk.“As he walked along, the inebriate, whose gait was at first unsteady, recovered his equilibrium and required less help.”
verb
- To cause to be drunk; to intoxicate.
- To disorder the senses of; to exhilarate, elate or stupefy as if by spirituous drink.“the inebriating effect of popular applause”
- To become drunk.“fish that come from the Euxine Sea ; that when they come into the fresh water , do inebriate and turn up their bellies , so as you may take them with your hand”