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Synonyms

pickled

American  
[pik-uhld] / ˈpɪk əld /

adjective

  1. preserved or steeped in brine or other liquid.

  2. Slang. drunk; intoxicated.

  3. (of wood) given an antique appearance by applying and partly removing paint or by bleaching.

pickled British  
/ ˈpɪkəld /

adjective

  1. preserved in a pickling liquid

  2. informal intoxicated; drunk

"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

Other Word Forms

  • unpickled adjective

Etymology

Origin of pickled

First recorded in 1545–55; pickle 1 + -ed 2

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.

Quick pickled cucumbers, dressed with rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil, bring texture and acidity while a classic Mexican mix of minced onion and cilantro finishes things off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Robin van Laan, 26, took home the top prize for stamppot last year and is hoping for a repeat performance this time with his secret ingredient of pickled onions.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

There’s cabbage and brussels sprouts — cruciferous veggies that are divine pickled.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026

In prison, he "loved eating rice with pickled ginger," Chan said.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.