Word
drunk
US/ˈdɹəŋk/
UK/dɹˈʌŋk/
Definitions
01intoxicated
A2 · Elementary
adj. having had too much alcohol, making it hard to think, speak, or walk clearly.
adj. intoxicated by alcohol to the point of impaired physical and mental control.
“He was too drunk to drive, so he took a taxi home instead.”
“The witness testified that the defendant appeared visibly drunk, citing his slurred speech and inability to maintain his balance during the encounter.”
Pitfall
He was very drink last night.
He was very drunk last night.
Use 'drunk' as the adjective to describe the person's state, not the verb 'drink'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02past participle of drink
A2 · Elementary
v. the form of 'drink' used after 'have', 'has', or 'had'.
v. the past participle of the irregular verb 'drink'.
“I have already drunk three cups of coffee this morning.”
“By the time the sun reached its zenith, the hikers had drunk nearly all of their remaining water supplies.”
Pitfall
I have drank all the water.
I have drunk all the water.
In standard English, 'drank' is the simple past, while 'drunk' is the past participle used with 'have'.
03a person who is intoxicated
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. a person who is currently very intoxicated or someone who drinks too much alcohol regularly.
n. a person who is intoxicated or a habitual drinker. Often carries a derogatory or informal tone depending on context.
日本語:酔っ払い※
“The police had to remove a loud drunk from the train station.”
“The novelist often depicted the local drunk as a tragic figure, a man whose potential had been washed away by decades of addiction.”
04overwhelmed by emotion
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. feeling very excited or powerful because of a strong emotion like success or love.
adj. metaphorically intoxicated or emboldened by a powerful emotion or abstract concept.
“The young soldiers were drunk with the excitement of their first victory.”
“Drunk with power, the dictator began to ignore the advice of his closest generals, leading the nation toward an avoidable conflict.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “drunk” in context.
Verb
01. drunk driving
“He was arrested and charged with drunk driving.”
adj + noun
02. drunk with power
“The dictator became drunk with power and ignored his advisors.”
adj + prep + noun
03. get drunk
“They went to the pub with the intention of getting drunk.”
verb + adj
04. make drunk
“The strong wine quickly made him feel quite drunk.”
verb + adj
Adjective
05. blind drunk
“He was so blind drunk that he couldn't even remember his own name.”
adj + adj
06. dead drunk
“They found him dead drunk on the sofa after the party.”
adj + adj
07. visibly drunk
“Several guests were visibly drunk by the time the dinner was served.”
adv + adj
Noun
08. state of drunk
“He was in no state to drive in his current drunk condition.”
noun + prep + adj
09. declared legally drunk
“His blood alcohol level was high enough to be declared legally drunk.”
10. drunk as a lord
“By midnight, he was as drunk as a lord and singing loudly.”
11. get roaring drunk
“The sailors went out to get roaring drunk on their first night ashore.”
Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
01. appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober
02. cheap drunk
03. expensive drunk
04. good drunk
05. sad drunk
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/drunk
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0