drunkenness

Definition of drunkennessnext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in inebriation
the condition of being drunk officials warning that public drunkenness would not be tolerated, even during Mardi Gras

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of drunkenness The lack of a recommendation reflected mixed sentiments None of the council members disputed that crime and drunkenness, mini liquor bottle litter and nuisance behaviors are problems to be addressed. Eric Adler march 31, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026 The Puritans once banned the game shuffleboard, an occasion for gambling and drunkenness. Brendan King, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence and studies showing that gun ownership and drunkenness can be a dangerous cocktail. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026 Rather, a lengthy process can be initiated to remove a member from office for gross neglect of duty, gross immorality, drunkenness, or other misconduct, the Ohio School Board Association stated. Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Mar. 2026 He was detained again in 2017 for an assault in Queens, then six months later arrested for suspicion of public drunkenness in Georgia. Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026 He was twice arrested in 2017, first for assault in Queens, and then in George for suspicion of public drunkenness. Jami Ganz, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026 LaBeouf has had several run-ins with the law during his career, including an early 2017 New York arrest for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct that was captured on a livestream video. Juan A. Lozano, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026 The public drunkenness allegation was dropped and LaBeouf eventually apologized, citing his addiction as a struggle. Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drunkenness
Noun
  • Those were rain, housecleaning, and alcoholism.
    Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The writer Kate Gilgan found herself at the center of a literary scandal last month when, on social media, another writer accused her of using AI to write an emotional first-person essay about the experience of losing custody of her young son at the height of her alcoholism.
    Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Ultimately, jurors sided with prosecutors whose 2023 criminal indictment outlined numerous instances of teens getting injured as a result of their inebriation under her watch.
    Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Some 20,000 delirious, singing spectators with flags of every sort in various states of inebriation had gotten their money’s worth, and then some.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Jackson died from acute propofol intoxication in 2009 having been accused of improper relationships with three boys.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Police say the 32-year-old driver of the MKZ showed signs of intoxication and was taken into custody and brought to a local hospital for a blood draw.
    Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Drunkenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drunkenness. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.

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