get wasted
Meaning
To become extremely intoxicated by alcohol or drugs to the point of incapacitation.
Origin
The term "wasted" has long been associated with depletion, ruin, or rendering something useless. When applied to a person, it evokes a vivid image of being completely undone, debilitated, or rendered ineffective. This sense of being utterly squandered or destroyed by excess, particularly by alcohol or drugs, began to firmly cement itself in the English lexicon during the mid-20th century, especially within American youth culture. The phrase "get wasted" powerfully captures the experience of losing control and having one's faculties and often one's evening, utterly consumed and rendered useless by overindulgence.
Examples
- After a tough week, all he wanted to do was get wasted and forget his worries for a night.
- They decided to skip the party because they didn't want to get wasted before their big exam the next morning.