drunken

1 of 2

adjective

drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
Synonyms of drunkennext
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 How to pronounce drunken (audio)
noun

drunkenness

2 of 2

noun

drunk·​en·​ness -kən(n)ə̇s How to pronounce drunkenness (audio)
plural -es
1
: the condition of being drunk with or as if with alcohol : intoxication
2
: alcoholism
3
: mental or emotional extravagance suggestive of the disorders caused by alcohol
the drunkenness of factious animosity—T. B. Macaulay

Synonyms of drunken

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of drunken in a Sentence

Adjective 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
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Adjective
Then, in June 2023, Huggins was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Pittsburgh. — CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Shauf quit drinking in 2020, and while The Party contains its fair share of drunken regret, alcohol is a more central subject on the afterparty’s other two outtakes. — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026 Where King’s Margaret actively disliked her daughter—viewing her as the polluted spawn of the night her drunken husband effectively raped her—Sloyan’s Margaret clearly loves Carrie, wanting only to protect her from a world of sin and depravity. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 Toluene doesn’t appear on the National Toxicology Program’s list of carcinogens, but the Center for Disease Control (CDC) says exposure can cause nausea, tiredness, and drunken-type actions. — Tracy Middleton, Allure, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drunken

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English druncen, from past participle of drincan to drink

Noun

Middle English drunkennesse, from Old English druncenness, from druncen + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drunken was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing drunken

Rhymes for drunken

See All Rhymes for drunken

Browse Nearby Words

drunk driving
drunken
drunkenly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

drunken

adjective
drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
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 How to pronounce drunken (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

drunken

adjective
drunk·​en ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
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 How to pronounce drunken (audio)
noun
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