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Glite Dictionary
half-seas-over

half-seas-over

1 9.9
A person who is quite drunk after drinking too much
  • adjective
  • /ˌhɑːfˈsiːzˈoʊvər/
  • Archaic
: ebrio
  • At the party, everyone could tell he was half-seas-over by the way he was laughing loudly.

Examples

  • Well, I'm half-seas over.

    The Bad Seed (1956)

  • After a few drinks, he was half-seas-over and couldn't walk straight.

  • You were half seas over then, and violent.

    Frenzy (1972)

  • He's half-seas-over.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • She was feeling half-seas-over after celebrating her birthday with friends.

Synonyms

hammered
vshalf-seas-over
  • Slang
28 8.4

Very drunk from drinking alcohol

is an older British informal term rather than blunt modern slang
inebriated
vshalf-seas-over
  • Formal
15 6.5

To be very drunk after drinking too much alcohol

is informal and old-fashioned rather than formal standard language
soaked
vshalf-seas-over
  • Informal
14 8.5

Being very drunk after drinking a lot of alcohol

is British and old-fashioned rather than this intense modern descriptor
plastered
vshalf-seas-over
  • Informal
13 8.3

Very drunk after drinking a lot of alcohol

is older British informal rather than this current casual expression
smashed
vshalf-seas-over
  • Slang
6 8.4

Very drunk after drinking a lot of alcohol

is an older British informal expression rather than extreme modern slang
sloshed
vshalf-seas-over
  • Informal
4 9.2

Very drunk after drinking too much

is older British informal and less used in modern speech
pished
vshalf-seas-over
  • Slang
1 9.9

Very drunk and unable to walk or speak clearly

is similarly British and old-fashioned rather than current casual slang
in one's cups
vshalf-seas-over
  • Archaic
9.9

Drunk after drinking too much alcohol

is British, informal and old-fashioned rather than modern common slang

Antonyms

sober
286 3.2

Not having drunk alcohol or taken drugs

How Drunk

half-seas-over
  • Archaic
1 9.9
tipsy
  • Informal
24 4.8
sober
286 3.2

Surface Forms

half-seas-over positive

Etymology

Half-seas-over comes from a sailing image: when the seas were 'half over' a ship's deck the ship was unsteady. So to be half-seas-over is to be unsteady like that, which is why the word means 'drunk'.