drunken

adjective drunk·en \ ˈdrəŋ-kən \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of drunken

1 : drunk 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

c : resulting from or as if from intoxication

a drunken brawl

4 : unsteady or lurching as if from alcoholic intoxication

—

drunkenly

adverb

—

drunkenness

play \-kən-nəs\ noun

See drunken defined for English-language learners

See drunken defined for kids

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 of drunken from the Web

Oswaldo Barajas, 23, 700 block of Sumner Avenue, Aurora, was charged with drunken driving and other traffic violations at 12:34 a.m. Wednesday near North Farnsworth Avenue and Grove Street, Aurora police said.

— erika wurst, Aurora Beacon-News, "Police say Aurora man facing DUI charge," 17 May 2018
In Gallon's 20s — around the time when the couple was killed — he was convicted of weapons charges, theft, drunken driving, resisting arrest, and hunting abalone (an edible mollusk) without the necessary paperwork, the Chronicle reports.

— jared gilmour, sacbee, "Beach campsite murder went unsolved 13 years. Now a killer faces charges, Calif. deputies say | The Sacramento Bee," 16 May 2018
The suspect was arrested and charged with drunken driving.

— cheryl higley, cleveland.com, "Stolen ATV recovered after crash: North Ridgeville Police Blotter," 12 May 2018
Over the next few minutes, he was unsuccessfully tested for drunken driving, questioned about trafficking in untaxed cigarettes and suspected of drug activity.

— andrew welsh-huggins, Cincinnati.com, "Ohio patrol uses drug dogs more often with black drivers," 8 May 2018
The 25-year-old Milwaukee man at the wheel was taken to a local hospital and arrested for drunken driving.

— jane ford-stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Drunken driver hits parked cars before crashing on 60th Street in West Allis," 2 May 2018
Cook pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges of vehicular manslaughter, drunken driving, driving while texting and leaving the scene of an accident in the crash that killed 41-year-old Thomas Palermo on Dec. 27, 2014.

— yvonne wenger, baltimoresun.com, "Former Maryland Episcopal Bishop Heather Cook applies for home detention," 2 May 2018
Nichols had at least four convictions for drunken driving and twice spent time in prison, investigators said.

— bart jansen, USA TODAY, "House votes to require medical certificates for hot air balloon pilots after fatal crash," 27 Apr. 2018
In Texas, in 2013, he was arrested a third time for drunken driving and sentenced to six years of probation.

— Anchorage Daily News, "A decade after the Alaska Ranger sank, a survivor changes his story," 13 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drunken.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of drunken

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

drunken Synonyms

Other Drug/Tobacco Terms

controlled, flake, herb, key, sodden

DRUNKEN Defined for English Language Learners

drunken

adjective

Definition of drunken for English Language Learners

: drunk or often becoming drunk
: caused by drinking too much alcohol
: involving people who are drunk

DRUNKEN Defined for Kids

drunken

adjective drunk·en \ ˈdrəŋ-kən \

Definition of drunken for Students

1 : ²drunk 1

2 : resulting from being drunk

a drunken sleep

—

drunkenly

adverb

—

drunkenness

noun

Medical Dictionary

drunken

adjective drunk·en \ ˈdrəŋ-kən \

medical Definition of drunken

1 : drunk 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

play \-kən-nəs\ noun

Learn More about drunken

See words that rhyme with drunken Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for drunken Spanish Central: Translation of drunken Nglish: Translation of drunken for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of drunken for Arabic speakers

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drunken

Definition of drunken

drunkenly

drunkenness

Examples of drunken in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of drunken

drunken Synonyms

Synonyms

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Other Drug/Tobacco Terms

DRUNKEN Defined for English Language Learners

drunken

Definition of drunken for English Language Learners

DRUNKEN Defined for Kids

drunken

Definition of drunken for Students

drunkenly

drunkenness

Medical Dictionary

drunken

medical Definition of drunken

drunkenly

drunkenness

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