drunken

adjective

drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən 

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

c

: resulting from or as if from intoxication

a drunken brawl

4

: unsteady or lurching as if from alcoholic intoxication

drunkenly adverb

drunkenness

ˈdrəŋ-kən-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of drunken

• drunk
• fried

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

While Vid stubbornly refuses to leave and sometimes descends into a drunken stupor, Dule observes his father with a dreamlike wonder — a wonder that Jovanović realized came from his own point of view as a child. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025

During that trial in December 2022, Megan recounted for jurors how Lanez shot at her feet, wounding both, during a drunken rampage after a party at Kylie Jenner’s house in July 2020. —Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2025

Read was later charged with second-degree murder and related offenses, but, in June 2024, a jury acquitted her of all homicide charges, convicting her only of drunken driving. —Michael Ruiz , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025

Their bond grew even stronger when Maggie was allegedly shunned by community members after Paul’s drunken boat crash that claimed the life of Mallory Beach, 19. —Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025

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

Phrases Containing drunken

• drunken driver
• drunken driving

Rhymes for drunken

• shrunken
• sunken

Kids Definition

drunken

adjective

drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən 

1

a

: drunk entry 2 sense 1

b

: having a habit of drinking too much alcohol

2

a

: resulting from being drunk

a drunken brawl

b

: drunk entry 2 sense 3b

drunkenly adverb

drunkenness

-kən-nəs 

noun

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

drunkenness

-kən-nəs 

noun