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
Synonyms
- besotted
- blasted [slang]
- blind
- blitzed [slang]
- blotto [slang]
- bombed
- boozy
- canned [slang]
- cockeyed
- crocked
- drunk
- fried
- gassed
- hammered [slang]
- high
- impaired
- inebriate
- inebriated
- intoxicated
- juiced [slang]
- lit
- lit up
- loaded [slang]
- looped
- oiled [slang]
- pickled
- pie-eyed
- plastered
- potted [slang]
- ripped [slang]
- sloshed [slang]
- smashed [slang]
- sottish
- soused
- sozzled
- squiffed
- squiffy
- stewed
- stiff
- stinking [slang]
- stoned
- tanked [slang]
- tiddly [chiefly British]
- tight
- tipsy
- wasted [slang]
- wet
- wiped out [slang]
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
Tempe police evacuated residents of from an apartment building that was struck Monday night by a car driven by a drunken driver, police said.
—Andrew Ford, The Arizona Republic, 16 Oct. 2024
This surreal journey through a drunken night of uncanny encounters is a classic of Nigerian literature, fearlessly stacking absurdity atop absurdity.
—The Week Us, theweek, 15 Oct. 2024
This issue can be fatal, like in late September, when a 20-year-old was killed in a reckless and drunken driving incident.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2024
And, at a time when Anchorage drivers are killing pedestrians at a record pace, the city has dismissed hundreds of drunken driving charges.
—Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drunken 
Andrew Ford, The Arizona Republic, 16 Oct. 2024
This surreal journey through a drunken night of uncanny encounters is a classic of Nigerian literature, fearlessly stacking absurdity atop absurdity.
—The Week Us, theweek, 15 Oct. 2024
This issue can be fatal, like in late September, when a 20-year-old was killed in a reckless and drunken driving incident.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2024
And, at a time when Anchorage drivers are killing pedestrians at a record pace, the city has dismissed hundreds of drunken driving charges.
—Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drunken
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drunken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near drunken
Cite this Entry
“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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
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