# drunk

/ˈdɹəŋk/ (US) · /dɹˈʌŋk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drunk
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. intoxicated

adjective · CEFR A2

having had too much alcohol, making it hard to think, speak, or walk clearly.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. past participle of drink

verb · CEFR A2

the form of 'drink' used after 'have', 'has', or 'had'.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. a person who is intoxicated

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a person who is currently very intoxicated or someone who drinks too much alcohol regularly.

For teachers: a person who is intoxicated or a habitual drinker. Often carries a derogatory or informal tone depending on context.

- 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.

### 4. overwhelmed by emotion

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

feeling very excited or powerful because of a strong emotion like success or love.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The police helped the drunk get home safely.
- The old man was a well-known local drunk who spent every afternoon sitting on the same park bench.
- While the novel depicts him as a harmless drunk, the narrative eventually reveals the deep-seated trauma that fueled his dependency on the bottle.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.