Synonyms

punch-drunk

American

[puhnch-druhngk] / ˈpʌntʃˌdrʌŋk /

adjective

(especially of a boxer) having cerebral concussion caused by repeated blows to the head and consequently exhibiting unsteadiness of gait, hand tremors, slow muscular movement, hesitant speech, and dulled mentality.
Informal. befuddled; dazed.

punch-drunk British

adjective

demonstrating or characteristic of the behaviour of a person who has suffered repeated blows to the head, esp a professional boxer
dazed; stupefied

"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

Etymology

Origin of punch-drunk

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20

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.

Now, Northwestern University neurobiologists are the first to uncover what produces this punch-drunk effect.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2023

Argentina were slightly punch-drunk and didn't really know how to counter it.

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2023

When "I Think You Should Leave" was released in April of 2019, it melded seamlessly into the full-bellied feel of the times: buoyant and completely punch-drunk with positivity.

From Salon • Jun. 25, 2023

Mr. Connery had first shown promise in a 1957 BBC television role, playing a punch-drunk prizefighter in “Requiem for a Heavyweight.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 31, 2020

Negotiating the puzzling, infirm terrain demanded unceasing concentration, an all-but-impossible feat in my punch-drunk state.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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