drunken
drunken Lexical Profile
drunken Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Caused by, characterized by, or occurring during alcoholic intoxication.
"The neighbors called the police after a drunken argument spilled out onto the street."
Intoxicated with alcohol to the point of losing control of one's faculties or behavior; habitually given to excessive drinking.
"The tavern owner refused to serve the drunken patrons any more ale."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern English, 'drunken' is used almost exclusively as an attributive adjective before a noun (e.g., 'a drunken brawl'), whereas 'drunk' is used as a predicate adjective after a linking verb (e.g., 'he was drunk').
• Rhymes for drunken
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'druncen', the original strong past participle of 'drincan' (to drink), which has since been largely replaced in verbal use by 'drunk' while surviving as an attributive adjective.