Useful Expressions
Level: Elementary Intermediate Advanced
Ways of saying someone is drunk
Anybody who comes to the UK soon notices that many British people spend a lot of their free time drinking and getting drunk. Here are ten common UK expressions that English people
Ten Expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing
- Tipsy
- Merry
- Pissed / sloshed
- Tanked up
- Drunk as a skunk
- Legless
- Wrecked / hammered
- Out for the count
- Intoxicated
- Under the influence (of alcohol)
How To Use These Phrases In Your English
- Phrases 1 and 2 are not very strong and mean that the person has only had a little alcohol and is not very drunk. Phrase 2 also suggests enjoyment in a group.
- Phrase 3 is a bit stronger. People who are 'pissed' have lost their inhibitions, are talking loudly and may have started singing.
- Phrase 4 says that the person is very drunk and has consumed a large amount of liquid (probably beer).
- Phrase 5 is used to describe somebody who has had too much. He / she probably cannot talk in a normal way.
- Phrase 6 is used to describe somebody who cannot walk properly. Seeing two friends carrying a 'legless' drinker along the street is a common sight around UK city centres most nights of the week.
- Phrase 7 says that the person is very drunk and emphasises the destructive effect of the alcohol. Surprisingly, many younger Britons use this word in a positive way to say how much they enjoyed a night out.
- Phrase 8 means that the person is no longer conscious.
- Phrases 9 and 10 are more formal. Phrase 10 in particular is used by the police and in the legal profession.