intoxication
drunkenness / inebriation
[C/U] Both
This term carries a clinical or legal weight when referring to chemical substances, often appearing in police reports or medical charts to describe a physiological state of impairment. It suggests a loss of control or a clouded judgment caused by an external agent.
When used emotionally, the word evokes a sense of dizziness or euphoria. It describes a psychological high where a person is so captivated by a feeling, such as love or victory, that they lose their usual objectivity or rationality.
Uncountable when referring to the general state of being drunk or high. Countable when referring to specific clinical cases or episodes of poisoning.