the difference between drunk and drunken when used as adjectives?

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Whats the difference between I am drunk and I am drunken?

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[+3] - izzythepush - 10/22/2016No. Drunk as a skunk Drunk as a lord Drunk as a cucumber Drunk as a fiddle Drunk as pie Drunk as gold are all popular idioms that do not fit your narrow definition.

View best answer, chosen by perennialloner

A drunk person is someone who is drunk now; a drunken person is someone who is often drunk. (Nobody says "I am drunken".)

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@contrex,

Thanks.

0 Replies

@contrex,

Good'n Con

0 Replies

@contrex,

contrex wrote:

(Nobody says "I am drunken".)

Not even when they're drunk?

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@izzythepush,

contrex wrote:

Quote:

(Nobody says "I am drunken".)

Quote:

Not even when they're drunk?

asks Izzy

Not even; unless the idea is to express a continuing condition

http://onelook.com/?w=drunken&ls=a

0 Replies

We tend to use 'drunken' about events or activities: a drunken escapade, a drunken weekend, he staggered drunkenly etc.

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@contrex,

Con well put

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@perennialloner,

The difference is that Drunken should be used in front of a noun whereas Drunk should be used after a verb.
For example, He was a drunk." (used as a noun), or "He was too drunk to drive." (used as an adjective).
"He was a drunken mess." You can't call someone "a drunken", so that's where they differ grammatically, I think.

2 Replies

@Janny Wilson,

No.
Drunk as a skunk
Drunk as a lord
Drunk as a cucumber
Drunk as a fiddle
Drunk as pie
Drunk as gold
are all popular idioms that do not fit your narrow definition.

0 Replies

@Janny Wilson,

A drunk man stumbled is a perfectly valid sentence. Also, those are cool idioms. I'd never heard of them

1 Reply

@perennialloner,

We (UK) often say pissed instead of drunk as in pissed as a fart. Pissed only means angry if followed by off.

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

Ive definitely heard hammered as an alternative to drunk. Does the phrase taking the piss literally mean acting as if drunk then?

1 Reply

@perennialloner,

No. Taking the piss, ripping the piss, taking the mickey, or the mick, all mean to make fun of someone or to expect too much of someone.

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@contrex,

contrex wrote:

A drunk person is someone who is drunk now; a drunken person is someone who is often drunk. (Nobody says "I am drunken".)

If you were plastered drunk you might say, "I am drunken."

1 Reply

@Krumple,

Krumple wrote:

If you were plastered drunk you might say, "I am drunken."

You might say many ungrammatical things if you were plastered.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Like steal someone else's gag.

http://able2know.org/topic/345457-1#post-6275485

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the difference between drunk and drunken when used as adjectives?

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