Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

drunk with different prepositions

Drunk is commonly followed by on or with. Other prepositions usually belong to separate expressions rather than fixed adjective patterns.

Quick answer

Which prepositions go with drunk?

Use drunk on for intoxication or strong enthusiasm and drunk with for overwhelming emotion. Drunk in is part of the phrasal verb drink in, not the adjective drunk. Drunk at and drunk for are not standard adjective patterns.

He was drunk on cheap wine.
She seemed drunk with excitement.
Fans were drunk on victory.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
drunk on + substance

Intoxicated by alcohol or drugs

Use drunk on for substances causing intoxication or metaphorical excitement.

They were drunk on champagne.
The crowd was drunk on success.
2
drunk with + emotion

Overwhelmed by a feeling

Drunk with describes a strong emotional state.

She was drunk with joy.
He looked drunk with power.
3
drunk in + noun

Part of the verb phrase drink in

Drunk in usually belongs to the verb drink in, meaning absorb eagerly, rather than the adjective drunk.

They drank in the atmosphere.
She drank in every detail.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
drunk on
He was drunk on whiskey.
Standard for intoxication or metaphorical excitement.
drunk with
She was drunk with happiness.
Used for overwhelming emotions.
drunk in
They drank in the view.
Part of the verb drink in, not an adjective pattern.
drunk at
He got drunk at the party.
At introduces location, not the object of drunk.
drunk for
They drank for hours.
For expresses duration and is not a standard pattern after drunk.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using drunk at for intoxication source

At usually shows location.

✕ He was drunk at beer. ✓ He was drunk on beer.

Confusing drunk in with drink in

Drink in is a verb meaning absorb eagerly.

✕ She was drunk in the music. ✓ She drank in the music.

Using drunk for before substances

For does not introduce the cause of intoxication.

✕ They were drunk for wine. ✓ They were drunk on wine.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The fans were drunk ___ excitement after the win.
2. He was drunk ___ vodka.
3. We ___ every moment of the concert.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Can drunk on be metaphorical?

Yes. You can say drunk on power, success, or love.

What is the difference between drunk on and drunk with?

Drunk on usually refers to a substance or metaphorical influence, while drunk with refers to emotions.

Is drunk at correct?

Only when at introduces a place, such as drunk at a party. It is not a fixed adjective pattern.

daily, for, daily, with, daily, in damaging to, for, of, in or as? damn about, near, for, to or as? "dangerous for" or "dangerous to"? "dark in", "dark for" or "dark of"? "daunting for" or "daunting to"? dead in, on, by, at or of? deadly to, in, for, of or with? "deaf to" or "deaf in"? dear to, in, for, of or as? deceased in, to, for, at or on? "decent in" or "decent for"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account