drunken
UK: ˈdrʌŋkən | US: ˈdrʌŋkən
adj. intoxicated with alcohol
adj. (of actions or states) caused by excessive drinking
adj. (archaic) saturated or soaked with liquid
The word "drunken" combines "drunk," the past participle of "drink," with the suffix "-en," which forms adjectives indicating a state or condition. "Drunk" itself traces back to Old English "druncen," meaning intoxicated, derived from the Proto-Germanic *drunkanaz. The "-en" suffix, common in Old English (e.g., "wooden," "golden"), reinforces the adjectival sense of being in a state of intoxication. Over time, "drunken" specialized to describe habitual or visible intoxication, while "drunk" became the standard past participle.
The drunken man stumbled out of the bar.
Her drunken laughter echoed through the room.
The party left a trail of drunken revelry.
(Archaic) The cloth was drunken with dye.
He regretted his drunken promises the next morning.