laced

Meanings

1. 1adjectiveafter a verb

   Having had something, often alcohol or a drug, added to it, usually without the drinker or eater knowing.

   Grammar: Usually follows a verb and takes with: the punch was laced with rum.

   Patterns

   • laced with something
   • be laced with something

   Police found that the coffee had been laced with a sedative.

   He tasted something odd and realized his drink was laced.

   The cake was laced with brandy, so the children were not allowed any.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Fastened or tied up with a cord or string threaded through holes or loops.

   Grammar: Often used before a noun or in compounds: laced boots, lace-up shoes.

   Patterns

   • laced boots
   • tightly laced

   She pulled on a pair of laced leather boots and headed out.

   The corset was laced so tightly that she could barely breathe.

   A neatly laced football lay in the grass.

3. 3adjectiveafter a verbfigurative

   Containing a noticeable amount of some quality or feeling, such as humor or bitterness, mixed through it.

   Grammar: Used figuratively with with: a speech laced with irony.

   Patterns

   • laced with something

   Her reply was laced with sarcasm.

   The report is laced with warnings about rising costs.

   His memoir is laced with dry humor.

Common combinations

laced with poison

The villain's wine was laced with poison.

laced drink

He was too afraid to touch a laced drink at the party.

laced with sarcasm

His thank-you note was laced with sarcasm.

laced with humor

The lecture was laced with humor, which kept everyone awake.

tightly laced

Her tightly laced skates gave good ankle support.

Synonyms and how they differ

spiked

Spiked is the closest match for drinks and is slightly more informal, while laced can also describe food or a tone of voice.

doctored

Doctored suggests something was tampered with, not necessarily by adding a substance, and it is not limited to food or drink.

tainted

Tainted stresses that something has been spoiled or contaminated, whereas laced stresses that a substance was deliberately added.

seasoned

Seasoned is used for speech or writing flavored with a quality, but it sounds warmer and has no hint of something hidden.

Opposites

Word family

lace verb

to fasten with a cord, or to add a substance to a drink

lace noun

a cord for fastening shoes, or a delicate openwork fabric

lacing noun

a small amount of something added, or the cord used to fasten

unlaced adjective

not fastened with laces

Commonly confused: laced or lased?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “laced”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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