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Synonyms

drunken

American  
[druhng-kuhn] / ˈdrʌŋ kən /

adjective

  1. intoxicated; drunk.

    Synonyms:
    besotted, tipsy, inebriate
    Antonyms:
    sober
  2. given to drunkenness.

  3. pertaining to, caused by, or marked by intoxication.

    a drunken quarrel.


drunken British  
/ ˈdrʌŋkən /

adjective

  1. intoxicated with or as if with alcohol

  2. frequently or habitually drunk

  3. (prenominal) caused by or relating to alcoholic intoxication

    a drunken brawl

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

See drunk.

Other Word Forms

  • drunkenly adverb
  • drunkenness noun
  • half-drunken adjective
  • undrunken adjective

Etymology

Origin of drunken

Variant of drunk adj. and past participle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His "drunken monkey" hypothesis initially met resistance from many scientists, especially primatologists, who argued that primates in the wild do not commonly eat fermented fruits or nectar.

From Science Daily • Dec. 1, 2025

“Are people going to just spend like drunken sailors for this holiday season, and then next year it’s like, ‘Well, we did all our shopping then.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 28, 2025

Arthur begins as a thuggish, cigar-smoking, sausage-eating, drunken clown, until he’s forced, by events, and the possibility of inheriting the presidency, to reckon with himself.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

You won't find either of them spinning yarns about drunken shenanigans at long ago party conferences, or carrying grudges about things that happened decades ago in student election campaigns.

From BBC • May 25, 2024

But four hours ago, they were fugitives, creeping in bushes, hearts apound, danger surrounding; and now, they sit giddy with escape, surrounded only by companions, drunken on the airiness of flight, recounting mishaps.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson