punch-drunk
adjective
1
: suffering from brain injury from repeated blows to the head : affected with or exhibiting chronic traumatic encephalopathy
In the argot of the not-so-sweet science, he had been punch-drunk, his brain dying prematurely as a result of his taking so many blows to the head.—
Sports Illustrated
Sports IllustratedSynonyms
- addle
- addled
- addlepated
- bedeviled
- befogged
- befuddled
- bemused
- bewildered
- bushed [chiefly Australian]
- confounded
- confused
- dazed
- distracted
- dizzy
- dopey
- dopy
- fogged
- mixed-up
- muddleheaded
- muzzy
- pixilated
- pixillated
- punchy
- raddled
- shell-shocked
- silly
- slaphappy
- spaced-out
- spaced
- spacey
- spacy
- stunned
- stupefied
- zonked
- zonked-out
Examples of punch-drunk in a Sentence
punch-drunk from having stayed up all night, she struggled through the exam
Recent Examples on the Web
Trending There are those who will appreciate the punch-drunk sensation that accompanies watching Megalopolis and its constantly shifting, ever-curious omnivorousness.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
It’s better described as a series of springy volleys backward and forward through time—the movie ping-pongs between 2019 and 2006, with stops in between—that leave you feeling a little dizzy, even a bit punch-drunk.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
The notion that anyone might make a beeline to turn this punch-drunk nonsense into a new Statham franchise seems unlikely.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2024
What’s going on is that the movie is getting punch-drunk.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
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David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
It’s better described as a series of springy volleys backward and forward through time—the movie ping-pongs between 2019 and 2006, with stops in between—that leave you feeling a little dizzy, even a bit punch-drunk.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
The notion that anyone might make a beeline to turn this punch-drunk nonsense into a new Statham franchise seems unlikely.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2024
What’s going on is that the movie is getting punch-drunk.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
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Dictionary Entries Near punch-drunk
Cite this Entry
“Punch-drunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch-drunk. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
punch-drunk
adjective
: suffering from brain injury from repeated blows to the head : affected with or exhibiting chronic traumatic encephalopathy
An American doctor, Harrison Martland, observed as early as 1928 that boxers who took considerable punishment could become punch-drunk.—Peter Stoler, Time
Peter Stoler, TimeLove words? Need even more definitions?
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