caffeinate

verb

caf·​fein·​ate ˈka-fə-ˌnāt How to pronounce caffeinate (audio)
-fē-ə-
caffeinated; caffeinating

transitive + intransitive

: to get caffeine or to provide caffeine to (someone) by means of a caffeinated beverage (such as coffee)
No sitter this afternoon, so I caffeinate and stumble through the routine …Nancy Kruger Cohen
The Lady K, as locals call it, caffeinates customers in the morning …Amy Mayer
Inspired by Stephen King's how-to "On Writing," he scrawled a longhand draft of "Tietam" in six weeks, caffeinating himself through the wee hours with two-liter Diet Cokes.Gregory Kirschling

Examples of caffeinate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Others, like Andrea Alba Von-Buren, a writers’ production assistant who worked on The CW’s Gotham Knights, launched a business by staying close to her community of scribes — and keeping them caffeinated. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 June 2023 That’s the aim of a new restaurant at Circle Centre Mall, 49 W. Maryland St. And another new shop there intends to help keep downtown visitors and workers caffeinated. The Indianapolis Star, 13 June 2023 Love 'em or loathe 'em, the fact is that Keurig single-cup coffee machines caffeinate millions of households. Brittany Anas, House Beautiful, 17 May 2023 Neil Patrick Harris is keeping it classy (and caffeinated). Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023 To be in Tangier is to be well-caffeinated. Graham H. Cornwell, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2023 The Avon Cafe and cafeteria serve casual fare to hundreds of studio workers each day, while the Central Perk café and two Starbucks keep employees sufficiently caffeinated. Pat Saperstein, Variety, 6 Apr. 2023 Plus, the stainless steel is easy to rinse clean and wipe dry once you’re fully caffeinated and ready to start the day. Ellen McAlpine, Popular Mechanics, 30 Mar. 2023 Not only will the cup of joe keep you caffeinated, but the vessel will fill you with delight, too. Emerson Latham, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of caffeinate was in 1989

Dictionary Entries Near caffeinate

Cite this Entry

“Caffeinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caffeinate. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

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