What does stoned mean?
Stoned is an informal adjective that most commonly describes someone under the influence of a psychoactive drug, particularly cannabis. In looser usage, it can mean intoxicated by alcohol or another substance, and it sometimes carries the broader implication of being unfocused, dreamy, or detached from ordinary surroundings. The expression stoned out is especially common for a strongly affected or incapacitated state. Stoned also has a rare literal and literary meaning: covered with stones, or changed or embedded in stone. A further figurative use describes a person so absorbed in an experience that the world seems unreal. The word's vivid history comes from the ordinary verb stone, meaning to pelt or attack with stones. In modern informal usage, the drug-related sense dominates. Its expressive quality often conveys a sense of altered consciousness, relaxation, dreaminess, or mental confusion rather than merely the neutral fact of having taken a substance.
Under the influence of a psychoactive drug, especially cannabis; informally, intoxicated or in a dreamy, altered state.
"He was stoned and had trouble concentrating on the conversation."
Informal; the cannabis association is especially strong.
Covered with stones or transformed into stone.
"The ruined temple was stoned over and partly hidden by the forest."
Rare and literary.
Past tense and past participle of stone, meaning to attack or pelt with stones.
"The protesters stoned the building after the announcement."
The verb is uncommon in contemporary English but is well attested in historical and political reporting.
One word can mean both covered with stones and completely altered by cannabis.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stoned come from?
The word comes from stone with the suffix -ed, originally indicating that something has been covered or transformed by stones. Stone itself derives from Old English stān and is cognate with Dutch steen and German Stein. The informal drug-related sense developed much later by extension and comparison with the effect of feeling stunned or having one's senses dulled.
Related word forms
How stoned is actually used
The drug-related sense is informal and is especially associated with cannabis use. The literal sense is uncommon and literary, while the sense of being entranced or absorbed is figurative and less frequent.
Easily confused with stoned
No distinct meaning is commonly confused with stoned in standard usage, although its literal and slang senses differ from one another.
Stunned means rendered temporarily unable to think or act, whereas stoned most commonly means intoxicated or under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug.