What does monkeyed mean?
“Monkeyed” is an informal British adjective chiefly meaning intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. It often suggests a state in which a person appears disoriented, overexcited, or unusually uninhibited, rather than simply having drunk a moderate amount: someone might be described as completely or heavily monkeyed. In a second, less common sense, “monkeyed” means tampered with or interfered with, but this usage normally appears in the construction “monkeyed with,” as in “someone monkeyed with the controls.” The word can sound dated or strongly associated with British informal speech, so sober, intoxicated, or tampered with may be preferable in formal writing. It is also usually more suitable for describing an obvious temporary state than for making a clinical claim about intoxication. Its two contrasting meanings give it a memorable dual use: a person can be monkeyed through alcohol or drugs, while machinery, documents, or settings can be monkeyed with by careless interference.
Intoxicated by alcohol or drugs; disoriented, overexcited, or behaving in an uninhibited manner.
"The teenagers were laughing and shouting because they were completely monkeyed."
Informal and chiefly British; often used when someone is very noticeably intoxicated.
Having interfered with or tampered with something, especially in the expression “monkeyed with.”
"The technician discovered that someone had monkeyed with the audio controls."
Normally used with “with” and more formal in tone than the intoxicating sense.
“Monkeyed” has a double life: it can describe someone who is intoxicated or something that has been tampered with, as in “someone monkeyed with the controls.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does monkeyed come from?
“Monkeyed” is formed from the verb “monkey” with the suffix “-ed.” The verb “monkey” has long been used for interfering with or tampering with something, as well as in the older British informal sense of fooling or mocking. The meaning “intoxicated” is a later figurative development connected with the word’s broader slang associations. The origin of “monkey” itself is uncertain, and the word was recorded in English with several proposed sources.
Related word forms
How monkeyed is actually used
The intoxicating sense is informal and chiefly British. The interference sense is normally used with “with” and is more formal in register, though still conversational.