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
Examples of drunken in a Sentence
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
The jury cleared Read of killing O’Keefe, charging her with just drunken driving.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The two girls were killed in a drunken-driving hit-and-run collision, theDepartment of Homeland Security said, by a man in the United States illegally who fled the scene of the crime.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Court records show that Nechville was convicted of drunken driving in 2019 and 2023.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 9 Sep. 2025
Locals are sentimental about the happy, drunken teen graduates, who are thanked by strangers for their future contributions to Denmark.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drunken
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The two girls were killed in a drunken-driving hit-and-run collision, theDepartment of Homeland Security said, by a man in the United States illegally who fled the scene of the crime.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Court records show that Nechville was convicted of drunken driving in 2019 and 2023.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 9 Sep. 2025
Locals are sentimental about the happy, drunken teen graduates, who are thanked by strangers for their future contributions to Denmark.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drunken
Cite this Entry
“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share