drunk

[ druhngk ]

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.

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

/ 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

noun

1. a person who is drunk or drinks habitually to excess
2. informal.
   a drinking bout

Usage Note

See drink ( def ).

Confusables Note

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 Words From

• half-drunk adjective
• un·drunk adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of drunk¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of drunk¹

Old English druncen, past participle of drincan to drink; see drink

Example Sentences

"Within a few sips I was starting to feel a bit groggy, but I can't describe it as drunk. It was a really dizzy and weird feeling. I wasn’t feeling right."

From BBC

Mr Sidpara told the call handler she had fallen over while drunk and suffered injuries that had caused her to bleed, the jury heard.

From BBC

Lawrence has been released on parole five times but has been recalled every time - for being late back to a hostel, for going on the run and on other occasions because he got drunk or took drugs.

From BBC

Almost all of the Trumpists I saw were pleasantly drunk or appeared to be almost there.

From Salon

The bar facing the US consulate in Jerusalem is called Deja Bu - a witty reference to something you’ve drunk before.

From BBC