drunk

American  

[druhngk] / drʌŋk /

adjective

1. being in a temporary state in which one's physical and mental faculties are impaired by an excess of alcohol; intoxicated.

   The wine made him drunk.

   Synonyms:

   inebriated , drunken

   Antonyms:

   sober

2. overcome or dominated by a strong feeling or emotion.

   drunk with power;

   drunk with joy.

3. pertaining to or caused by intoxication or intoxicated persons; drunken.

   The semester before I dropped out was just a blur of drunk hookups and missed classes.

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noun

1. an intoxicated person.

   A couple of rude, grabby drunks ruined the parade for her.

2. Disparaging and Offensive.  a habitual drinker of alcohol who is frequently intoxicated.

3. a spree; drinking party.

   We rolled back into town after a four-day drunk, looking like hell.

verb

1. past participle and nonstandard simple past tense of drink.

drunk British  

/ drʌŋk /

adjective

1. intoxicated with alcohol to the extent of losing control over normal physical and mental functions

2. overwhelmed by strong influence or emotion

   drunk with joy

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noun

1. a person who is drunk or drinks habitually to excess

2. informal  a drinking bout

Usage

See drink ( def. ).

Commonly Confused

Both drunk and drunken are used as modifiers before nouns naming persons: a drunk customer; a drunken merrymaker. Only drunk occurs after a linking verb: He was not drunk, just jovial. The actor was drunk with success. The modifier drunk in legal language describes a person whose blood contains more than the legally allowed percentage of alcohol: Drunk drivers go to jail. Drunken, not drunk, is almost always the form used with nouns that do not name persons: drunken arrogance; a drunken free-for-all. In such uses it normally has the sense “pertaining to, caused by, or marked by intoxication.” Drunken is also idiomatic in such expressions as drunken bum or drunken sailor.

Other Word Forms

• half-drunk adjective
• undrunk adjective

Etymology

Origin of drunk

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English drunken, Old English druncen, past participle of drincan “to swallow liquid, drink”; drink

Example Sentences

According to Maro, chimps feed on fruit throughout the day and do not appear visibly drunk.

From Science Daily

As with earlier campaigns to shield the young from lead paint, drunk driving and cigarettes, laws change and social norms shift when the people speak up.

From The Wall Street Journal

The court was told the younger boy, clearly drunk, tried to take charge, shouting instructions.

From BBC

A drunk driver who hit a pedestrian while travelling at 91mph in a 30mph zone has admitted causing his death by dangerous driving.

From BBC

Deadly traffic accidents are a common occurrence in Peru due to speeding, drunk driving, poor road conditions, lack of signage and weak enforcement by authorities.

From Barron's

Related Words

• stoned
• tipsy