boozy

adjective

ˈbü-zē 

boozier; booziest

1

a

: affected by or showing the influence of liquor

Last September, following a boozy domestic dispute, he was ordered back to prison.

—Montgomery Brower, People Weekly, 18 Jan. 1988

… he's been fairly candid about how, after a boozy youth, he gave up alcohol at the age of 40 …

—Ken Bode, New Republic, 13–20 Sept. 1999

: drunk or slightly drunk

"Yes, yes; the rascals must have been getting boozy. Well, it's none of my business—I'll be off;" and off he went.

—Herman Melville, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas, 1847

… an old theater where everyone mingles in boozy bonhomie …

—Tad Friend, Vogue, August 1991

He's not allowed to drink during games or events, but he says boozy fans looking for a dip in his $25 blow-up pool try to ply him with drinks.

—Scott DeSimon, ESPN, 9 July 2001

b

: frequently drunk : tending to get drunk often

Humphrey Bogart won a Best Actor Oscar for his role as a slovenly, boozy boat captain.

—Myles Callum, TV Guide, 8 Feb. 1992

… in Berlin he became the brightest and booziest member of a rowdy crew called the "Young Hegelians."

—Andy Merrifield, The Nation, 10 July 2000

2

: having booze as a prominent ingredient : tasting or smelling of liquor

As for the boozy dessert, in those days they weren't even allowed to put a shot of sherry in the crab-meat bisque on a Sunday.

—Joanne Kates, Globe and Mail (Canada), 15 Apr. 2000

The cocktail is too boozy to be considered a true aperitif …

—Mark Ellwood, Martha Stewart Living, April 2011

… a chocolate peanut butter biscuit pudding with a boozy sauce …

—Bonnie S. Benwick, Washington Post, 6 June 2012

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Rhymes for boozy

• choosy
• uzi
• woozy
• jacuzzi