drunken

adjective

drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
Synonyms of drunkennext
1
: drunk sense 1
a drunken driver
2
obsolete : saturated with liquid
3
a
: given to habitual excessive use of alcohol
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by intoxication
they come from … broken homes, drunken homes— P. B. Gilliam
c
: resulting from or as if from intoxication
a drunken brawl
4
: unsteady or lurching as if from alcoholic intoxication
drunkenly adverb
drunkenness
ˈdrəŋ-kən-nəs How to pronounce drunken (audio)
noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of drunken in a Sentence

The streets were filled with drunken revelers on New Year's Eve. He lives in an apartment with his drunken mother. He fell into a drunken stupor. A drunken brawl broke out at the bar.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The leading causes of those crashes were drunken and distracted driving and speeding. — Sofia Joucovsky, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025 Prosecutors accused Ferguson of intentionally killing his wife after losing his temper during a drunken argument. — Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025 Playing the drunken carpenter Jacob Engstrand, Hamish Linklater finds a chunk of two-by-four and a roll of gaffer’s tape in a drawer. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025 The chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Johnson was arrested for drunken driving after his car struck a Capitol vehicle following Trump’s speech. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drunken

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English druncen, from past participle of drincan to drink

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drunken was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing drunken

Rhymes for drunken

See All Rhymes for drunken

Browse Nearby Words

drunken
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Cite this Entry

“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

drunken

adjective
drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
1
a
: drunk entry 2 sense 1
b
: having a habit of drinking too much alcohol
2
a
: resulting from being drunk
a drunken brawl
b
: drunk entry 2 sense 3b
drunkenly adverb
drunkenness
-kən-nəs How to pronounce drunken (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

drunken

adjective
drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
1
: drunk sense 1
a drunken driver
2
a
: given to habitual excessive use of alcohol
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by intoxication
drunken parties
c
: resulting from or as if from intoxication
a drunken stupor
drunkenly adverb
drunkenness
-kən-nəs How to pronounce drunken (audio)
noun

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Nglish: Translation of drunken for Spanish Speakers

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