pickled

adjective

pick·​led ˈpi-kəld 

1

: preserved in or cured with pickle

pickled herring

2

: drunk sense 1a

gets thoroughly pickled before dinner

—New Yorker

Synonyms

• besotted
• blasted [slang]
• blind
• blitzed [slang]
• blotto [slang]
• bombed
• boozy
• canned [slang]
• cockeyed
• crocked
• drunk
• drunken
• fried
• gassed
• hammered [slang]
• high
• impaired
• inebriate
• inebriated
• intoxicated
• juiced [slang]
• lit
• lit up
• loaded [slang]
• looped
• oiled [slang]
• pie-eyed
• plastered
• potted [slang]
• ripped [slang]
• sloshed [slang]
• smashed [slang]
• sottish
• soused
• sozzled
• squiffed
• squiffy
• stewed
• stiff
• stinking [slang]
• stoned
• tanked [slang]
• tiddly [chiefly British]
• tight
• tipsy
• wasted [slang]
• wet
• wiped out [slang]

Examples of pickled in a Sentence

He got pickled at the office party.

I must have been rather pickled when I agreed to your stupid scheme.

Recent Examples on the Web

The no-cook meal combines a few of our favorite things—classic protein salads, fresh produce, and a few pickled components—into one treasured tradition that can instantly turn a miserably hot day into a cause for celebration. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 May 2025

There’s pickled everything, excellent house bread, and a sense of quiet conviction in every dish. —Lela London, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Pressing ahead: Amid war in Gaza, some Chicago-area Palestinians risking travel to homeland for olive harvest season For some, olive trees are the lifeblood of Palestinian culture, representing so much more than a pickled or pressed fruit. —Shanzeh Ahmad, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025

The goat is served with puffed rice, tomato chutney and pickled radish. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pickled

• prickled
• tickled
• trickled

Kids Definition

pickled

adjective

pick·​led

: preserved with pickle