drunk

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See also: Drunk

English

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Etymology

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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.

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: drŭngk, IPA(key): /dɹʌŋk/, /d͡ʒɹʌŋk/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌŋk

Adjective

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drunk (comparative drunker, superlative drunkest)

  1. Intoxicated as a result of excessive alcohol consumption, usually by drinking alcoholic beverages.
    • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 557”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:
      So I took a great dry gourd and, cutting open the head, scooped out the inside and cleaned it; after which I gathered grapes from a vine which grew hard by and squeezed them into the gourd, till it was full of the juice. Then I stopped up the mouth and set in the sun, where I left it for some days, until it became strong wine; and every day I used to drink of it, to comfort and sustain me under my fatigues with that from froward and obstinate fiend; and as often as I drank myself drunk, I forgot my troubles and took new heart.
    • 2013 May 9, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Thursday, May 9, 2013:
      "What part of 'you got drunk' did our parents misunderstand?" "I only drank a few shots!"
  2. (derogatory) Habitually or frequently in a state of intoxication.
  3. (usually followed by with or on) Elated or emboldened.
    Drunk with power, he immediately ordered a management reshuffle.
  4. Drenched or saturated with moisture or liquid.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Sranan Tongo: drungu

Translations

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Noun

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drunk (plural drunks)

  1. One who is intoxicated with alcohol.
  2. A habitual drinker, especially one who is frequently intoxicated.
    Synonyms: alcoholic, drunkard, pisshead, piss artist, sot; see also Thesaurus:drunkard
    • 1971, William S. Burroughs, The Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead, page 10:
      Another drunk is sleeping in dangerous proximity to a brush fire.
  3. A drinking-bout; a period of drunkenness.
    • 1858 June 8, “A Scarcity of Jurors—Cangemi's Third Trial”, in New York Times, page 4:
      Gen. G. had been on a long drunk from July last until Christmas.
    • 1983 December 10, Veneita Porter, “A Little Help From Mom”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 21, page 14:
      Life probably would have continued in blissful ignorance if it had not been for Vito's occasional late-night drunks. Usually he got plastered and misplaced his keys […] and bellowed obscenities into our shared hallway.
    • 2004, Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, spoken by Steve Zissou (Bill Murray):
      Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go on an overnight drunk, and in 10 days I'm going to set out to find the shark that ate my friend and destroy it. Anyone who wants to tag along is more than welcome.
  4. A drunken state.
    • 2006, Patrick McCabe, Winterwood, Bloomsbury, published 2007, page 10:
      Here – help yourself to another drop there, Redmond! By the time we've got a good drunk on us there'll be more crack in this valley than the night I pissed on the electric fence!

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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drunk

  1. past participle of drink
  2. (Southern US) simple past of drink

Anagrams

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