What it means
Means very drunk, properly smashed, the kind of state where your balance is a rumour and your phone becomes a dangerous weapon. If someone says they were hammered, they are not just tipsy, they have had enough booze to make tomorrow a write-off. Gets used casually after big nights out, parties, or any messy work do.
Usage examples
"We were meant to have one pint after work, but by ten the whole lot were hammered, spilling chips and begging the bouncer for a taxi."
"By the time the last bus rolled past the pub we were all properly hammered, and the bouncer just shook his head and ordered taxis on his phone."
"He turned up to his sister's wedding hammered from the night before, slurring vows about lifelong friendship to the catering staff before the bride had even arrived."
"I only went out for two lagers and somehow ended up absolutely hammered, trying to order kebab from a cash machine."
"She was so hammered after the office party she hugged a lamppost and told us it was doing a brilliant job."
Where it comes from
This one comes straight from the older meaning of hammered, as in hit hard with a hammer or beaten flat. By the early 20th century it was being used figuratively for people who'd been hit hard by alcohol. The image stuck because it sounds heavy, blunt, and instantly conveys being properly drunk.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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