inebriated

A formal, clinical, or polite alternative to "drunk." It strips away the raw, often chaotic energy of drunkenness and replaces it with a sense of detached observation. While "drunk" can be celebratory or sloppy, "inebriated" is typically used in legal documents, police reports, or high-society contexts where direct language would be considered uncouth or too blunt. It suggests a state of being overwhelmed by alcohol rather than the active choice of drinking. It carries a cold, descriptive tone that distances the speaker from the subject.