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Synonyms

intoxicating

American  
[in-tok-si-key-ting] / ɪnˈtɒk sɪˌkeɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing or capable of causing intoxication.

    intoxicating beverages.

  2. exhilarating; exciting.

    an intoxicating idea.


intoxicating British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • intoxicatingly adverb
  • nonintoxicating adjective
  • nonintoxicatingly adverb
  • unintoxicating adjective

Etymology

Origin of intoxicating

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And yet the way of things at the top is under massive threat - and it's intoxicating.

From BBC

In a Yelets bakery the smell of freshly baked raisin bread, scones and cream pastries is intoxicating.

From BBC

It smells like any other tree—dusty and woody —but I know that deep inside is an intoxicating scent.

From Literature

That's what makes this season so intoxicating; so much jeopardy, so much unpredictability and so many teams who have come to the party.

From BBC

There’s the bubbling hum of rice boiling on the stove, the intoxicating aroma of warm milk infused with jaggery and fresh pods of cardamom filling the house with a scent no candle could compete with.

From Salon