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
An off-duty Douglas County sheriff’s deputy spit and cursed at a Parker police officer while waiting to be taken to jail after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving earlier this month, according to an arrest affidavit.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
An off-duty cop busted for a Manhattan drunken-driving crash that ended up with one of his dogs dead and another injured has been docked 35 days’ pay and placed on dismissal probation, according to an NYPD document.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
He’s saved by a drunken Ser Arlan, who comes stumbling into the alley and instinctively follows his knightly code to defend the innocent.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
At the stand to his left, Bee Hwa (Chen regular Yeo Yann Yann, disarmingly funny and wounding often in the same scene) serves beer to drunken patrons, working for tips while living with her brother and his small child.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drunken
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Katie Langford, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
An off-duty cop busted for a Manhattan drunken-driving crash that ended up with one of his dogs dead and another injured has been docked 35 days’ pay and placed on dismissal probation, according to an NYPD document.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
He’s saved by a drunken Ser Arlan, who comes stumbling into the alley and instinctively follows his knightly code to defend the innocent.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
At the stand to his left, Bee Hwa (Chen regular Yeo Yann Yann, disarmingly funny and wounding often in the same scene) serves beer to drunken patrons, working for tips while living with her brother and his small child.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 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 22 Feb. 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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