drunken

adjective

ˈdrəŋ-kən How to pronounce drunken (audio)
Definition of drunkennext
1
as in drunk
being under the influence of alcohol the drunken revelers made sure to take taxis home instead of trying to drive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intemperate
given to excessive use of alcoholic beverages drunken ne'er-do-wells who had been pressed into service in the British navy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 Wyatt was charged again with drunken driving in May 2026 after she was found asleep at the wheel in Galveston County. — Isaac Yu, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026 The film features drunken sing-alongs and dancing with abandon in the family kitchen. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 And drunken drivers who slam into emergency vehicles and workers at crash sites. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drunken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drunken
  1. drunk
  2. intemperate
Adjective
  • Prosecutors say Canadian visitor Mitchell Fairbarn took Peachy from the Flamingo Las Vegas habitat in a drunk prank and injured the bird; his lawyer says Fairbarn never intended harm.
    — Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • This is where Krasner and Pollock lived for nearly 11 years, until Pollock killed himself and one of his passengers, Edith Metzger, while driving drunk, injuring his girlfriend, Ruth Kligman, too.
    — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of drunk
Adjective
  • An America that feels safe because our leaders act with integrity and honor, not with a slavish, intemperate ego.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Suzanna waits for hours in the bank’s vestibule—that practical but indeterminate space shielding the true interior from the intemperate outdoors—much to the bewilderment of the young security guard perched on a stool nearby.
    — Laura Miller, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
Definition of intemperate

Browse Nearby Words

drunkards
drunken
drunkenness
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Cite this Entry

“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drunken. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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