drunken 1 of 2

drunkenness

2 of 2

noun

1
as in alcoholism
habitual or excessive drinking of intoxicants unfortunately most of his time in college had been devoted to drunkenness and debauchery

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 drunken
Adjective
The fire is believed to have been sparked by a drunken driving crash, according to a Facebook post by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office. Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 3 Aug. 2025 Police charged Hall and Shorter with drunken driving shortly thereafter, but Vega fled the scene. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2025 That path is instantly decimated as a more and more drunken Adriana spends the day going scorched earth on Marysol, both behind her back and to her face. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 July 2025 The menu includes drunken noodles with Chinese broccoli, peppers, onions and Thai basil in soy sauce; lo mein, with egg noodles, cabbage and vegetables in XO sauce, and rice dishes such as General Tso's chicken and sweet-and-sour chicken. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for drunken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drunken
Adjective
  • In his memoir, Perry recalled how Aniston was the first costar to confront him about his troubles despite him never having been drunk on set.
    Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • In August 2024, the nursing home was penalized when federal surveyors found that two residents were leaving the nursing home without signing out and then returning drunk.
    Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Blaming heated and even intemperate words for the violent actions of madmen invites censorship and deflects responsibility from those who actually commit violent acts.
    airmail.news, airmail.news, 20 July 2024
  • The shooting unfolded just as Biden was attempting to focus his campaign even more sharply on criticizing Trump, including for his intemperate rhetoric and divisive message, as an effort to move the conversation beyond his performance in the June 27 presidential debate.
    Tyler Pager, Washington Post, 14 July 2024
Noun
  • Both have felt the crushing weight of active alcoholism and drug addiction.
    Outside Online, Outside Online, 30 July 2025
  • That’s kind of like blaming the bartender for your alcoholism.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • Sloan, originally from New Jersey, didn’t eat a lot of fried chicken growing up — other than the occasional KFC.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
  • And like with other Southern stalwarts (think sweet tea and fried chicken), where a taste undoubtedly leads to seconds, one trip to the Smokies always begets a return visit.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Downing a ton over one to two hours can pose hazards like water intoxication, a.k.a. hyponatremia, the medical term for dangerously low sodium levels in the blood.
    Caroline Tien, SELF, 12 Aug. 2025
  • But not exactly bubbly – the stock traded above 50x in the two years before the March 2000 peak of the tech mania, a time when the public intoxication with risk reached genuine historic extremes that the current speculative wave has not yet even closely approached.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drunken. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on drunken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!