ENGLISH
REFERENCE

drunken

adj.
US //ˈdɹəŋkən// UK //dɹˈʌŋkən// drunk·en
  1. 1 intoxicated (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    being under the influence of too much alcohol.

    intoxicated by alcohol; used almost exclusively as an attributive adjective before a noun.

    Example

    The police stopped a drunken driver who was swerving across the road.

    Example

    The witness described a drunken man stumbling out of the tavern just moments before the accident occurred.

    Usage

    This adjective is attributive, meaning it typically appears before the noun it describes.
    Pitfall
    The man was drunken.
    The man was drunk.

    Use 'drunk' after a verb like 'be' or 'seem'. Use 'drunken' only before a noun, like 'a drunken man'.

  2. 2 caused by alcohol (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    happening because people have been drinking too much alcohol.

    characterized by or resulting from intoxication.

    Example

    The party ended in a drunken argument over who should pay the bill.

    Example

    The evening descended into a drunken brawl that required the intervention of local security forces.
Show 1 more senseShow fewer
  1. 3 habitual drinker (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    describes someone who is often drunk or has a problem with alcohol.

    given to habitual excessive consumption of alcohol; often carries a derogatory or judgmental tone.

    Example

    In the old story, the hero's father was a drunken man who lost the family farm.

    Example

    The magistrate noted the defendant's long history of drunken behavior and public disturbance.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is often found in literature or formal legal contexts to describe a person's character rather than a temporary state.
Etymology 1

From Middle English drunken, ydronken, idrunken, from Old English druncen, ġedruncen (“drunk; drunken”), from Proto-Germanic drunkanaz (“drunken”), past participle of Proto-Germanic drinkaną (“to drink”), equivalent to drink + -en. Cognate with West Frisian dronken (“drunk; drunken”), Dutch dronken (“drunk; drunken”), German betrunken (“drunk; drunken”), Swedish drucken (“drunk; drunken”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English dronknen, drunkenen, drunknen, from Old English druncnian (“to drown; get drunk”), from Proto-Germanic drunkanōną (“to get drunk”), from Proto-Germanic drunkanaz (“drunk; intoxicated”). Cognate with Norwegian drukne, drukna, Icelandic drukna.

Word family

© 2026 English Reference