drunkenness

IPA/ˈdrʌŋkənnəs/
KK[drˈʌŋkənnəs]IPA/ˈdrʌŋkənnəs/

drunkenness — noun

1. the physical and mental state caused by drinking too much alcohol, in which a pe

1.名詞B2
釋義

the physical and mental state caused by drinking too much alcohol, in which a person has trouble controlling speech, movement, or judgment.

例句

Police charged Otis with public drunkenness after he stumbled out of a karaoke bar.

collocation: public drunkenness (legal context)

One episode of extreme drunkenness sent Adina to the emergency room with alcohol poisoning.

collocation: extreme drunkenness

同義詞
  • intoxication

    More formal and medical; often used in clinical reports or legal documents

  • inebriation

    Literary or humorous; less common in everyday speech

  • tipsiness

    Refers to a mild form, not full drunkenness; implies light, cheerful effects

反義詞
  • sobriety

    The state of being completely free from alcohol's effects

文法句型

drunkenness + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Common in legal, medical, and formal contexts (e.g. 'public drunkenness', 'signs of drunkenness'). In everyday conversation, speakers prefer 'being drunk' or 'drunk' as an adjective.

常見錯誤

❌His drunkenness caused him to trip on the stairs.
✅He tripped on the stairs because he was drunk.
💡'drunkenness' sounds unnatural in casual storytelling; use the adjective 'drunk' instead.
❌She was arrested for drunkenness and driving.
✅She was arrested for drunk driving.
💡'drunk driving' is the fixed compound noun; 'drunkenness and driving' is ungrammatical.

2. a long-term condition in which a person drinks alcohol frequently or excessively

2.名詞C1
釋義

a long-term condition in which a person drinks alcohol frequently or excessively and cannot stop, even when it causes serious harm to health, work, or relationships.

例句

Benjamin's family staged an intervention to help him overcome his drunkenness.

collocation: overcome + drunkenness

Years of daily drunkenness had destroyed Aylin's liver and ended her marriage.

collocation: daily drunkenness

同義詞
  • alcoholism

    The precise medical term for addiction to alcohol; preferred in clinical settings

  • alcohol addiction

    Broader term; focuses on the dependence aspect rather than the pattern of consumption

  • alcohol abuse

    Emphasises harmful use patterns; may or may not involve physical dependence

反義詞

文法句型

chronic + drunkenness

habitual + drunkenness

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (BEING DRUNK): this sense describes a long-term pattern or addiction, not a single episode. In formal medical writing, 'alcoholism' or 'alcohol use disorder' are the preferred terms.

常見錯誤

❌She suffers from drunkenness and goes to AA meetings.
✅She suffers from alcoholism and goes to AA meetings.
💡For addiction, 'alcoholism' is the standard English term; 'drunkenness' for a single episode can confuse the meaning.
❌His drunkenness started when he was a teenager.' (ambiguous)
✅His alcoholism started when he was a teenager.
💡Use 'alcoholism' to avoid confusion with the acute state of being drunk.