punch-drunk

adjective

ˈpənch-ˌdrəŋk 

1

: suffering from brain injury from repeated blows to the head : affected with or exhibiting chronic traumatic encephalopathy

In the argot of the not-so-sweet science, he had been punch-drunk, his brain dying prematurely as a result of his taking so many blows to the head.

—Sports Illustrated

2

: behaving as if punch-drunk : dazed, confused

Synonyms

• addle
• addled
• addlepated
• bedeviled
• befogged
• befuddled
• bemused
• bewildered
• bushed [chiefly Australian]
• confounded
• confused
• dazed
• distracted
• dizzy
• dopey
• dopy
• fogged
• mixed-up
• muddleheaded
• muzzy
• pixilated
• pixillated
• punchy
• raddled
• shell-shocked
• silly
• slaphappy
• spaced-out
• spaced
• spacey
• spacy
• stunned
• stupefied
• zonked
• zonked-out

Examples of punch-drunk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The notion that anyone might make a beeline to turn this punch-drunk nonsense into a new Statham franchise seems unlikely. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2024

What’s going on is that the movie is getting punch-drunk. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

punch entry 2

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

punch-drunk

adjective

ˈpənch-ˌdrəŋk 

: suffering from brain injury from repeated blows to the head : affected with or exhibiting chronic traumatic encephalopathy

An American doctor, Harrison Martland, observed as early as 1928 that boxers who took considerable punishment could become punch-drunk.

—Peter Stoler, Time

punch-drunkenness

-ˌdrəŋ-kən-nəs 

noun