alcoholic

noun

: a person affected with alcoholism

Synonyms of alcoholic

• drunk
• drinker
• drunkard

Examples of alcoholic in a Sentence

Her uncle is an alcoholic.

one can be a social drinker without turning into an alcoholic

Recent Examples on the Web

After finding out about the affair, her mother, a recovering alcoholic, relapsed and had to be hospitalized. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 1 June 2026

After the war, his goalscoring statistics were deleted and his achievements were discredited, with the Polish press labelling him as mentally unstable and an alcoholic. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 June 2026

AlAnon is a support group for family and friends of alcoholics/addicts. —Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026

Tommy is sober; Jeff’s a wisecracking alcoholic who seems to have twice emptied out a flask before the first scene is over. —Chris Willman, Variety, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alcoholic

• anabolic
• apostolic
• catabolic
• cytosolic
• diabolic
• diastolic
• ethanolic
• hyperbolic
• melancholic
• metabolic
• methanolic
• parabolic

Kids Definition

alcoholic

1 of 2 adjective

al·​co·​hol·​ic ˌal-kə-ˈhȯl-ik 

-ˈhäl-

1

: of, relating to, or containing alcohol

2

: affected with alcoholism

alcoholically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

alcoholic

2 of 2 noun

: a person affected with alcoholism

Medical Definition

alcoholic

1 of 2 adjective

al·​co·​hol·​ic ˌal-kə-ˈhȯl-ik, -ˈhäl- 

1

a

: of, relating to, or caused by alcohol

alcoholic hepatitis

b

: containing alcohol

2

: affected with alcoholism

alcoholically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

alcoholic

2 of 2 noun

: one affected with alcoholism