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
Between May 1 and Oct. 2 of last year, the city dropped more than 250 domestic violence assault cases and more than 270 drunken driving cases due to an inability to meet the 120-day deadline Alaska sets for upholding a defendant’s right to a speedy trial.
—Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 11 July 2025
Jurors did convict her of a lesser charge: drunken driving, also called operating under the influence, or OUI.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
El Paso, Texas, had the highest percentage of fatal crashes involving a drunken driver in 2023.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Thumping Afrobeats pipe through the speaker while plates of baby back ribs slathered in gochujang barbecue sauce, spicy edamame and drunken noodle chicken are placed on tables.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for drunken
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Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 11 July 2025
Jurors did convict her of a lesser charge: drunken driving, also called operating under the influence, or OUI.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
El Paso, Texas, had the highest percentage of fatal crashes involving a drunken driver in 2023.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Thumping Afrobeats pipe through the speaker while plates of baby back ribs slathered in gochujang barbecue sauce, spicy edamame and drunken noodle chicken are placed on tables.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for drunken
Cite this Entry
“Drunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drunken. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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
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