Word of the day: Crapulous

The word of the day is “crapulous.” It is pronounced as KRAP-yuh-luhs. It is an adjective, which means it describes a person or a feeling. The simple meaning is: feeling sick after eating or drinking too much, especially alcohol. It can also mean someone who often drinks or eats too much and has no control, as per Merriam-Webster.

Crapulous word origin

The word comes from Latin “crapula,” which means drunkenness, and even earlier from Greek “kraipale,” meaning hangover. The word was first recorded in English around the year 1540, showing it is a very old word. Another similar word is “crapulent,” which also means sick from too much drinking.

Here are 5 simple synonyms of crapulous:

Sick (from eating or drinking too much)


Hungover

Overfull

Drunk

Queasy (feeling like you may vomit)

How to use the word Crapulous in sentences

1. I felt crapulous after eating too much junk food at the party.
2. He woke up crapulous because he drank too much last night.
3. She looked crapulous after finishing three large pizzas alone.
4. After the festival feast, everyone felt tired and a little crapulous.
5. He promised not to drink so much again after feeling crapulous all morning.

Crapulous usage example

A related noun is “crapulence,” meaning the condition of being sick due to heavy drinking. Importantly, this word has no connection to the rude slang word “crap.” They come from totally different origins. A usage example from author Jim Williams shows the meaning clearly: a man felt crapulous after drinking and went to the beach feeling unwell.

Another example appears in an old letter by Thomas Jefferson, where he mentioned someone’s “crapulous habits,” meaning heavy drinking habits. The word is considered formal and rare today, but it is still used in literature and dictionaries.

FAQs

Q1. What does the word “crapulous” mean?

It means feeling sick or uncomfortable after eating or drinking too much, especially alcohol.

Q2. Is “crapulous” a common word today?

No, it is a rare and formal word, but it still appears in books and dictionaries.