alcoholic

12 synonyms and 5 antonyms for alcoholic, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A person who is addicted to alcohol.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

drunkard dipsomaniac boozer tippler heavy drinker problem drinker alky distilled fermented inebriate intoxicating spirituous

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A person who is addicted to alcohol.

“Her father was an alcoholic, and she grew up learning how addiction affects a family.”

drunkard dipsomaniac boozer tippler heavy drinker problem drinker alky distilled fermented inebriate intoxicating spirituous

Opposites

teetotaler on the wagon nonalcoholic alcohol-free virgin

2. adj

Containing alcohol, or relating to alcohol.

“Please do not bring any alcoholic drinks into the park this weekend.”

Opposites

nonalcoholic

How to use alcoholic

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

alcoholic beverage recovering alcoholic alcoholic drink

Calling a person "an alcoholic" is a clinical/everyday term for alcohol addiction, not a casual insult — use it carefully.

Etymology

From "alcohol" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ic"; first recorded in English in 1891.

Full origin of alcoholic →

Frequently asked questions

What does “alcoholic” mean?

The word “alcoholic” means a person who is addicted to alcohol. In plain terms, describes drinks containing alcohol, or a person addicted to alcohol.

How do you pronounce “alcoholic”?

“Alcoholic” is pronounced al-kuh-HOL-ihk (/ˌæl.kəˈhɔ.lɪk/ in IPA).

How do you use “alcoholic” in a sentence?

Here is “alcoholic” used in a sentence: “He's been a recovering alcoholic for six years.”

What is another word for “alcoholic”?

Words with a similar meaning to “alcoholic” include distilled, fermented, inebriate, intoxicating and spirituous.

What is the opposite of “alcoholic”?

The opposite of “alcoholic” — its antonyms — are teetotaler, on the wagon, nonalcoholic, alcohol-free and virgin.

What part of speech is “alcoholic”?

Depending on how it is used, “alcoholic” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “alcoholic” come from?

The word “alcoholic” dates back to around 1891. From "alcohol" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ic"; first recorded in English in 1891.

Is “alcoholic” a common word?

“Alcoholic” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

What is the difference between the noun and adjective senses of "alcoholic"?

As a noun, "alcoholic" means a person who is addicted to alcohol. As an adjective, it describes something that contains alcohol or relates to alcohol, as in "an alcoholic drink."

What is the difference between an alcoholic drink and a non-alcoholic drink?

An alcoholic drink contains alcohol, while a non-alcoholic one does not. Drinks labelled "alcohol-free" or "virgin" are made without alcohol.

What is the difference between an "alcoholic" and a "heavy drinker"?

An alcoholic is dependent on or addicted to alcohol, whereas a heavy drinker consumes a large amount but is not necessarily addicted. The key distinction is dependence rather than quantity alone.

Is it respectful to call someone an "alcoholic"?

The word is widely used, but many people now prefer person-first language such as "a person with alcohol use disorder." In sensitive or clinical settings, the person-first phrasing is often considered more respectful.

People also searched

virgin distilled fermented teetotaler nonalcoholic inebriate dipsomaniac drunkard boozer intoxicating spirituous tippler

Nearby words

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