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”; see origin at drink

Explanation

If you consume so much alcohol that you become inebriated, you are drunk. If you do it too often, you may become a drunk, which is another, blunter, word for "alcoholic." For the last 600 years or so, the word drunk has been used to describe someone who is intoxicated. Someone who's drunk from alcohol might be unsteady on their feet, slur their speech, or not be able to think straight. But you also can be drunk on things like power, passion or hope. This kind of drunk involves strong feelings or intoxicating emotions instead of one too many beers.

Example Sentences

“The cup of coffee never asks anything of you. Even before you’ve drunk it, it just gives you hope.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has urged a ban on serving alcohol in airport bars before morning flights in an effort to tackle drunk and aggressive passengers.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Ashouri, 43, said she is the only candidate to work within the city attorney’s criminal branch, handling cases involving guns, drunk driving and domestic violence.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Platner pleaded ignorance—claiming that he had gotten inked with insignia while drunk and off duty in Croatia, and didn’t understand the horrific context until much later.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Sandi starts doing ballet leaps that look pretty silly in a winter coat, and Yo staggers around as though she’s drunk to get a laugh out of us.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• stoned
• tipsy