Crapulent

/ˈkræpjʊlənt/ adjective

Definition

Extremely drunk or suffering from the effects of drinking too much alcohol.

Etymology

From Late Latin crapulentus, meaning drunk or intoxicated, derived from crapula (drunkenness). The adjective form adds the suffix -ent to indicate a state or quality. This term was particularly common in Medieval and Renaissance English.

Kelly Says

Shakespeare never used this word, but he should have—it's the perfect adjective for describing Falstaff stumbling out of the tavern. Victorian writers loved 'crapulent' because it sounded learned and disapproving at the same time.

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