drunken

1 of 2

adjective

drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən 

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 

noun

drunkenness

2 of 2

noun

drunk·​en·​ness -kən(n)ə̇s 

plural -es

1

: the condition of being drunk with or as if with alcohol : intoxication

2

: alcoholism

3

: mental or emotional extravagance suggestive of the disorders caused by alcohol

the drunkenness of factious animosity

—T. B. Macaulay

Synonyms of drunken

Adjective

• drunk
• fried

Examples 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

Adjective

Madness, and all thanks to the powers of drunken room service. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

Newell accused the Record of illegally obtaining and leaking information about a drunken-driving incident, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026

Jimmy rubbed beer foam off his mustache, and Kath thought of the drunken Norwegian boatman who sank Fanny’s ship. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026

Because Ulf the White, the drunken tavern-dweller, cannot be found. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Noun

Middle English drunkennesse, from Old English druncenness, from druncen + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Phrases Containing drunken

• drunken driver
• drunken driving

Rhymes for drunken

• shrunken
• sunken

Kids Definition

drunken

adjective

drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən 

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 

noun

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

drunkenness

-kən-nəs 

noun