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drunk

n. countable
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈdɹəŋk// UK //dɹˈʌŋk// drunk General-service Vulgar

n. a person who is often or currently very affected by drinking too much alcohol. You use this word to describe someone who has lost control of their actions because of drink.

n. a person who is intoxicated by alcohol or who habitually consumes alcohol to excess. Often carries a derogatory or informal tone depending on the social context.


SIMPLE

The police helped the drunk get home safely.

CONTEXTUAL

The old man was a well-known local drunk who spent every afternoon sitting on the same park bench.

COMPLEX

While the novel depicts him as a harmless drunk, the narrative eventually reveals the deep-seated trauma that fueled his dependency on the bottle.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English drunke, drunken, ydrunke, ydrunken, from Old English druncen, ġedruncen (“drunk”), from Proto-Germanic drunkanaz, gadrunkanaz (“drunk; drunken”), past participle of Proto-Germanic *drinkaną (“to drink”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian dronken, West Frisian dronken, Dutch dronken, gedronken, German Low German drunken, bedrunken, German trunken, getrunken, betrunken, Swedish drucken, Icelandic drukkinn.

Usage

Commonly used as a noun to label a person, though it can also function as the past participle of 'drink'.

Pitfall

He has drank too much.He has drunk too much.Learners often confuse the past simple 'drank' with the past participle 'drunk' in present perfect constructions.

Idioms5 entries

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