Usage Note: As an adjective, the form drunk is generally used after a verb such as be or seem, while the form drunken is used in front of a noun to modify it directly: They were drunk last night, but A drunken waiter at the restaurant ruined our evening. Using drunk in front of a noun is less formal, although the phrases drunk driver and drunk driving, which have become fixed expressions, are exceptions to this. Drunken also has a more general use, with the meaning "characterized by or related to alcohol or intoxication," as in a drunken sauce (one that has something containing alcohol, such as beer or wine, as an ingredient) or a drunken affair (a celebration in which the participants become drunk). Drunk generally does not have this meaning, although the noun drunk comes close, being a disparaging term for someone characterized by frequent drunkenness or alcoholism. A differentiation between drunk and drunken is sometimes made in legal language, wherein a drunk driver is a driver whose alcohol level exceeds the legal limit, and a drunken driver is a driver who is inebriated.