under the influence
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
It was as embarrassing to see a friend under the influence of adrenalin when one had not lost one's own temper as it was to see him under the influence of alcohol when one was sober.
Police suspect fatigue as the cause; the driver was not under the influence of alcohol.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “under the influence” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “under the influence” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.