drunken

adjective

drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
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 homesP. B. Gilliam
c
: resulting from or as if from intoxication
a drunken brawl
4
: unsteady or lurching as if from alcoholic intoxication
drunkenly adverb
drunkenness noun

Example Sentences

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 There was the sober me who chose to seek help, and the drunken me who had clanged around in my life months, weeks, hours before. Mike Scalise, Harper's BAZAAR, 26 May 2023 That same year, he was charged with drunken driving, according to a police report filed in Wrentham District Court. Danny Mcdonald, BostonGlobe.com, 25 May 2023 The sheer awfulness of this results in a drunken fiasco, depicted in loving detail. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 25 May 2023 His lawyers argued Barnett had no significant criminal history, with three drunken driving convictions each more than 20 years ago. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 24 May 2023 San Antonio police have arrested a man with a history of drunken driving who is suspected of fleeing the scene of a collision that killed a teenage bicyclist on the Southwest Side. Taylor Pettaway, San Antonio Express-News, 15 May 2023 Sibley doesn’t shy away from the parts of the Harris saga that don’t paint him in the best light: the drunken nights, the cocaine binges, the fights, the affairs, the petty squabbles with co-stars and collaborators. Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023 Though all eyes should have been on the bride and groom, pal Matt Smith's drunken behavior was one of the day's most unforgettable moments. Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 2 May 2023 Stop in for a delightful dive-bar atmosphere: shuffleboard, cold beers and drunken karaoke. Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 1 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drunken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English druncen, from past participle of drincan to drink

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drunken was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near drunken

Cite this Entry

“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 3 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

drunken

adjective
drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
1
b
: having a habit of drinking too much alcohol
2
a
: resulting from being drunk
a drunken brawl
drunkenly adverb
drunkenness noun

Medical Definition

drunken

adjective
drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
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
drunkenness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on drunken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!