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
The hard part is carrying around a half drunken flute of champagne.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2025
While speeding and drunken driving remain issues in Warsaw, the city is committed to the Vision Zero framework, which seeks to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Feb. 2025
Similarly, Custom Food Solutions recently recalled over 100,000 pounds of ready-to-eat frozen drunken chicken products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
Foreman tried to steady himself and go after Ali but stumbled into rapid-fire combinations that spun him around like a drunken ballet dancer — punches with enough impact to throw a spray of his sweat across the ring.
—Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 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.
Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2025
While speeding and drunken driving remain issues in Warsaw, the city is committed to the Vision Zero framework, which seeks to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Feb. 2025
Similarly, Custom Food Solutions recently recalled over 100,000 pounds of ready-to-eat frozen drunken chicken products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
Foreman tried to steady himself and go after Ali but stumbled into rapid-fire combinations that spun him around like a drunken ballet dancer — punches with enough impact to throw a spray of his sweat across the ring.
—Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for drunken
Dictionary Entries Near drunken
Cite this Entry
“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 11 Feb. 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