caffeine intoxication
- noun
- /ˈkæfiːn ɪnˌtɒkɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Specialized
- After consuming several energy drinks in a short period, she experienced severe symptoms of caffeine intoxication, including restlessness and insomnia.
Examples
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Many students have suffered from caffeine intoxication during exam week due to their heavy reliance on caffeinated beverages.
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The relevant measurement for caffeine intoxication (and most poisoning generally) is the total amount taken, not the concentration.
Blog text (22) -
I've been hospitalized for caffeine intoxication when in college; that and when I got a concussion as a teenager were the only times I've been overnight in a hospital.
Blog text (22) -
His rapid heartbeat and inability to sleep at night were clear signs of caffeine intoxication from his excessive coffee consumption.
Synonyms
Sickness caused by drinking too much caffeine that makes you anxious and gives a fast heartbeat
How Severe
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from the constituents: 'caffeine' (a stimulant) combined with 'intoxication' (poisoning/impairment) yields 'poisoning caused by caffeine.' This compositional medical/chemical compound follows regular English patterns (and parallels in other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Caffeine intoxication joins caffeine (the stimulant in coffee and energy drinks) and intoxication (an old word for being made very sick by a substance). Imagine someone drinking so much coffee they become jittery, can't sleep, and their heart races— that's why the phrase means 'being badly affected by too much caffeine'.