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
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
Examples of drunken in a Sentence
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
Feng has a drunken smile on his face the entire time.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025
The jury convicted her of only drunken driving.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Another flashback, this time in the immediate aftermath of Vince daring a drunken employee to jump from the roof to a neighboring fire escape, paralyzing the man and leaving the Rabbit to pay out half a million dollars.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
The two girls were killed in a drunken-driving hit-and-run collision, theDepartment of Homeland Security said, by a man in the United States illegally who fled the scene of the crime.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drunken
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.
Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025
The jury convicted her of only drunken driving.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Another flashback, this time in the immediate aftermath of Vince daring a drunken employee to jump from the roof to a neighboring fire escape, paralyzing the man and leaving the Rabbit to pay out half a million dollars.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
The two girls were killed in a drunken-driving hit-and-run collision, theDepartment of Homeland Security said, by a man in the United States illegally who fled the scene of the crime.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drunken
Cite this Entry
“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drunken
adjective
drunk·en
ˈdrəŋ-kən 
1
b
: having a habit of drinking too much alcohol
2
a
: resulting from being drunk
a drunken brawl
drunkenly
adverb
Medical Definition
drunken
adjective
drunk·en
ˈdrəŋ-kən
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share