stoned out of one's mind
Meaning
To be extremely intoxicated by drugs, typically marijuana, to the point of severe mental impairment and disassociation.
Origin
The core term "stoned" traces its linguistic roots back to an older, almost biblical sense of being "turned to stone"—stupefied, motionless, and incapable of thought or feeling. This evocative image of being rendered insensible was revived and given a potent new meaning with the rise of recreational drug use in the mid-20th century, particularly within the counterculture movements of the 1960s. The phrase "out of one's mind" was then bolted on, amplifying the sensory description to capture the profound mental disassociation and extreme intoxication experienced, creating a vivid shorthand that quickly permeated mainstream English as the ultimate state of drug-induced oblivion.
Examples
- After smoking that potent edible, he was stoned out of his mind and couldn't even remember his own name.
- The band looked completely relaxed on stage; they were clearly stoned out of their minds.