Bibulously

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɪbjʊləsli/

Definitions

1. Characterized by a voracious appetite for alcoholic beverages and a lifestyle emphasizing excessive drinking and indulgence in festivities
2. Exhibiting a tendency toward heavy drinking and excessive indulgence in alcohol is often associated with a lifestyle filled with boisterous social events
3. Showing a strong habit of drinking large amounts of alcohol and engaging in raucous celebrations

Etymology: "Bibulously" is an adverb formed by adding the suffix "-ly" to the adjective "bibulous," so its history is essentially the history of that adjective plus a very old ending. "Bibulous" comes from Latin "bibulus," meaning "fond of drinking" or "absorbent," built on the verb "bibere," "to drink." The Latin root is the same one behind "imbibe," which is a useful clue: the word was originally about drinking, and the sense of soaking things up is still present in the idea of a "bibulous" sponge or blotting paper. The ending has a longer ancestry than the rest of the word. The "-ly" suffix descends from an Old English form "-līċe," which was itself tied to the word for "body" or "form," so an adverb like this one carries a faint trace of physical shape in its making. Over centuries the suffix became a standard tool for turning adjectives into adverbs, and English speakers have applied it freely ever since.

Synonyms: intoxicatedly, drunkenly

Antonyms: soberly