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.
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Adjective
The place is a time capsule with sketchy internet service, drunken frat boys, and — most crucially — Faye’s college boyfriend Henry, who is now married with two kids and still lives in the area. — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 The Aurora department made 479 drunken driving arrests in 2025, the survey results show, a slight uptick from last year’s figures. — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026 In that episode, Cal attends Nate and Cassie's (Sydney Sweeney) emotionally charged wedding with his wife, Marsha (Paula Marshall) and gives a drunken wedding speech. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 8 July 2026 Items on Danny’s menu include the classic burger ($9), PB&J regular burger ($11), triple classic burger ($15), drunken ranch regular burger ($11), patty melt pounder ($17) and a burger of the month single burger ($11). — Jenna Thompson july 7, Kansas City Star, 7 July 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 15 Jul. 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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