drunkenness

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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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 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
  • Brilliant but famously difficult to work with due to his alcoholism, Lorenz Hart died the year after his collaborator Richard Rodgers launched his successful creative partnership with Oscar Hammerstein.
    Samantha Allen, Them., 2 Sep. 2025
  • Fuller, who had an absent father and mother with alcoholism, was in a crash in 2019 that left him permanently disabled and he's also been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
    Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Together, the officers from the disparate agencies form large crews to pull over motorists, serve warrants, block people from jumping fare gates at Metro subway stations, and crack down on low-level crimes such as drug possession and public intoxication.
    Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Bailey Lyle, 27, and Richard Goode, 29, both died of accidental drug intoxication.
    Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Drunkenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drunkenness. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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