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
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
drunk·en·ness
-kən(n)ə̇s 
plural -es
1
: the condition of being drunk with or as if with alcohol : intoxication
2
3
: mental or emotional extravagance suggestive of the disorders caused by alcohol
the drunkenness of factious animosity—T. B. Macaulay
T. B. MacaulayExamples of drunken in a Sentence
Adjective
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
CBS News, 16 June 2026
The interaction between Omar Epps’ Detective Malcolm Howard, who is actually Kanan’s father, and a drunken Lou when Lou realizes that Howard was the one who told Raq that Scrap was a snitch towards the end of season three is especially memorable.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
That was a drunken mistake by a young Marine who didn’t know any better.
—Megan McArdle, Washington Post, 14 June 2026
The 49ers then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge — his fifth arrest in three years.
—Josh Dubow, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for drunken
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Adjective
He was released by San Francisco in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge — his fifth arrest in three years.
—CBS News, 16 June 2026
The interaction between Omar Epps’ Detective Malcolm Howard, who is actually Kanan’s father, and a drunken Lou when Lou realizes that Howard was the one who told Raq that Scrap was a snitch towards the end of season three is especially memorable.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
That was a drunken mistake by a young Marine who didn’t know any better.
—Megan McArdle, Washington Post, 14 June 2026
The 49ers then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge — his fifth arrest in three years.
—Josh Dubow, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for drunken
Cite this Entry
“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drunken
adjective
drunk·en
ˈdrəŋ-kən
1
b
: having a habit of drinking too much alcohol
2
a
: resulting from being drunk
a drunken brawl
drunkenly
adverb
Medical Definition
drunken
adjective
drunk·en
ˈdrəŋ-kən
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
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