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

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
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.
Prosecutors say the 45-year-old Massachusetts woman struck O’Keefe with her car in a fit of drunken rage and left him to die outside the home of another Boston cop during a massive snowstorm in January 2022. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 22 May 2025 Some were inflicted on drunken patients who slipped on the ice. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2025 The drunken pushing, kicking and pummeling could last for hours, even days, and had no time limit. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 21 May 2025 Though a public advocate of Prohibition, Griffith shot his wife in the eye in a drunken rage. David Allan, CNN Money, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for drunken

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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

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