What does ebriate mean?
Ebriate is a rare English adjective meaning drunk or intoxicated with alcohol. Derived from the Latin ebrius, meaning "drunk," it entered English in the early modern period alongside its better-known relative "inebriate." Today the word survives almost exclusively in literary or historical contexts, where writers may choose it for its formal, Latinate flavor — much as one might prefer "in vino veritas" over plain speech about drinking. An ebriate reveller, in other words, is simply a drunk one, described with a touch of classical dignity. The noun form "ebriety," denoting drunkenness, is similarly scarce. For everyday purposes, words such as "drunk," "intoxicated," and "inebriated" have entirely displaced it, and most readers will encounter "ebriate" only in older texts, dictionaries of unusual words, or deliberately ornate prose. Its chief interest lies in that rarity: it preserves a direct line to Latin vocabulary about drinking.
adjectiveDrunk or intoxicated with alcohol; characterized by drunkenness.
- Drunk or intoxicated with alcohol (literary or archaic register).
"The poet's most ebriate verses were scribbled on the back of a tavern receipt."
"The old sailor grew ebriate on cheap rum and older stories."
"His letters from the capital describe an increasingly ebriate court."
Before "drunk" took over the English language, writers reached for this Latinate gem — the same root that gives us "sobriety's" opposite.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ebriate
Ebriate comes from the Latin ebrius, meaning "drunk," via the past-participial stem ebriatus. It entered English in the late 16th or early 17th century, part of a wave of Latinate learned borrowings. It shares this root with "inebriate" (from Latin inebriare, "to make drunk") and with the rarer nouns "ebriety" and "inebriety."
How ebriate is actually used
"Ebriate" is rare and literary, appearing mostly in older or deliberately elevated prose. In modern usage, "drunk," "intoxicated," or "inebriated" are strongly preferred.
Easily confused with ebriate
"Inebriate" is the far more common term, used both as an adjective/noun for a drunk person and as a verb meaning "to intoxicate," whereas "ebriate" is a rare, chiefly literary adjective simply meaning drunk.