1
as in alcoholism
habitual or excessive drinking of intoxicants
unfortunately most of his time in college had been devoted to drunkenness and debauchery
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2
as in inebriation
the condition of being drunk
officials warning that public drunkenness would not be tolerated, even during Mardi Gras
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Recent Examples of drunkenness
With some species variations, all sorts of wild animals, from small rodents to elephants, will consume alcohol, even to the point of drunkenness.
—
Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
Ancestors are memorialized but then assured that the rum still flows as drunkenness overtakes our narrator.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
With the beer and the drunkenness and the verve that Yazid had shown in stabbing himself, and not wanting to draw attention to the episode, Kamran didn’t make a fuss.
—Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Begging or drunkenness could mean a week to a couple of months on a chain gang, grading and paving roads, fixing bridges, hauling debris, and otherwise helping to construct the fast-growing city.
—JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2025
The list of allowable grounds includes malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, habitual drunkenness, incompetence, or permanent inability to perform official duties.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2025
Portalatin’s petition seeks to remove Wilder and Saenz using a statute in the Texas Local Government Code that allows for citizens to seek public officials’ removal due to incompetency, official misconduct or drunkenness both on and off duty.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
Ancestors are memorialized but then assured that the rum still flows as drunkenness overtakes our narrator.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
With the beer and the drunkenness and the verve that Yazid had shown in stabbing himself, and not wanting to draw attention to the episode, Kamran didn’t make a fuss.
—Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Begging or drunkenness could mean a week to a couple of months on a chain gang, grading and paving roads, fixing bridges, hauling debris, and otherwise helping to construct the fast-growing city.
—JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2025
The list of allowable grounds includes malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, habitual drunkenness, incompetence, or permanent inability to perform official duties.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2025
Portalatin’s petition seeks to remove Wilder and Saenz using a statute in the Texas Local Government Code that allows for citizens to seek public officials’ removal due to incompetency, official misconduct or drunkenness both on and off duty.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drunkenness
Noun
-
Carter's final film role came in 2020's The Way Back, which starred Ben Affleck as a high school basketball coach battling with alcoholism.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
-
On Stranger Things, Susan Hargrove was last seen in Season 4, struggling with alcoholism and trying to support Max while living in the local trailer park.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Public intoxication is a disease.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Public intoxication is a disease.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drunkenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drunkenness. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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