Habitual intoxication; prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks leading to a breakdown in health and an addiction to alcohol such that abrupt deprivation leads to severe withdrawal symptoms.

synonyms: alcohol addiction, drunkenness, inebriation.

Roget 959: drunkenness etc. adj.; intemperance; drinking etc. v.; inebriety^†, inebriation; ebriety^†, ebriosity^†; insobriety; intoxication; temulency^†, bibacity^†, wine bibbing; comtation^†, potation; deep potations, bacchanals, bacchanalia, libations; bender [U.S.].    oinomania^†, dipsomania; delirium tremens; alcohol, alcoholism; mania a potu [Fr.].    drink; alcoholic drinks; blue ruin [Slang], grog, port wine; punch, punch bowl; cup, rosy wine, flowing bowl; drop, drop too much; dram; beer etc. (beverage) 298; aguardiente^†; apple brandy, applejack; brandy, brandy smash [U.S.]; chain lightning [Slang], champagne, cocktail; gin, ginsling^†; highball [U.S.], peg, rum, rye, schnapps [U.S.], sherry, sling [U.S.], uisquebaugh [Ire.], usquebaugh [Scot.], whisky, xeres^†.    drunkard, sot, toper, tippler, bibber^†, wine-bibber, lush; hard drinker, gin drinker, dram drinker; soaker [Slang], sponge, tun; love pot, toss pot; thirsty soul, reveler, carouser, Bacchanal, Bacchanalian; Bacchal^†, Bacchante^†; devotee to Bacchus^†; bum [U.S.], guzzler, tavern haunter.    ... show more

Dutch: alcoholisme, alcoholprobleem, drankprobleem, drankzucht, drinkgewoonte
Polish: pijaństwo, alkoholizm, choroba alkoholowa

An intense persistent desire to drink alcoholic beverages to excess.

synonyms: dipsomania, potomania.

Polish: opilstwo okresowe, dypsomania