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

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

But when a traumatic drunken night resurfaces, Júlía must confront shame, family responsibilities and the courage to tell her own story, reads the logline. — Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

As powerful as Diamanda’s performance was, however, that specific reference later came to mean more to me on a drunken road trip through Kosovo with a Serb nationalist. — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 21 Aug. 2026

Apart from a drunken brawl in Ukraine a few years ago, which resulted in no charges, she was not known to the authorities. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Bertino-Tarrant praised the county’s public safety departments, specifically naming sheriff Deputy Steve Potete, who was named by the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists as Deputy of the Year for making 122 drunken driving arrests last year. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

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