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
He was released by San Francisco in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge — his fifth arrest in three years.
—CBS News, 16 June 2026
The interaction between Omar Epps’ Detective Malcolm Howard, who is actually Kanan’s father, and a drunken Lou when Lou realizes that Howard was the one who told Raq that Scrap was a snitch towards the end of season three is especially memorable.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
That was a drunken mistake by a young Marine who didn’t know any better.
—Megan McArdle, Washington Post, 14 June 2026
The 49ers then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge — his fifth arrest in three years.
—Josh Dubow, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for drunken
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CBS News, 16 June 2026
The interaction between Omar Epps’ Detective Malcolm Howard, who is actually Kanan’s father, and a drunken Lou when Lou realizes that Howard was the one who told Raq that Scrap was a snitch towards the end of season three is especially memorable.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
That was a drunken mistake by a young Marine who didn’t know any better.
—Megan McArdle, Washington Post, 14 June 2026
The 49ers then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge — his fifth arrest in three years.
—Josh Dubow, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
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 Jun. 2026.
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
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