1
: drunk sense 1
a drunken driver
2
obsolete
: saturated with liquid
3
a
: given to habitual excessive use of alcohol
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by intoxication
… they come from … broken homes, drunken homes …—
P. B. Gilliam
P. B. Gilliam
c
: resulting from or as if from intoxication
a drunken brawl
4
: unsteady or lurching as if from alcoholic intoxication
drunkenly
adverb
Examples of drunken in a Sentence
The streets were filled with drunken revelers on New Year's Eve.
He lives in an apartment with his drunken mother.
He fell into a drunken stupor.
A drunken brawl broke out at the bar.
Recent Examples on the Web
No festivals, no Lilith Fairs — not even a random dive bar on a drunken night out in the ’90s.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
The back parking lot, once a nasty no man’s land where drunken customers wandered off to urinate, has recently been transformed into a performance space that has hosted small gigs including Duane Betts.
—Jimmy Jellinek, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
Abraham was killed in a drunken-driving hit-and-run crash in downstate Urbana, Illinois, and an undocumented Guatemalan national was sentenced in the case.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Abraham, 20, was killed in a drunken driving crash by an immigrant without permanent legal status.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drunken
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
The back parking lot, once a nasty no man’s land where drunken customers wandered off to urinate, has recently been transformed into a performance space that has hosted small gigs including Duane Betts.
—Jimmy Jellinek, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
Abraham was killed in a drunken-driving hit-and-run crash in downstate Urbana, Illinois, and an undocumented Guatemalan national was sentenced in the case.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Abraham, 20, was killed in a drunken driving crash by an immigrant without permanent legal status.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drunken
Cite this Entry
“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drunken
adjective
drunk·en
ˈdrəŋ-kən 
1
b
: having a habit of drinking too much alcohol
2
a
: resulting from being drunk
a drunken brawl
drunkenly
adverb
Medical Definition
drunken
adjective
drunk·en
ˈdrəŋ-kən
1
: drunk sense 1
a drunken driver
2
a
: given to habitual excessive use of alcohol
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by intoxication
drunken parties
c
: resulting from or as if from intoxication
a drunken stupor
drunkenly
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
