1 : suffering from brain injury from repeated blows to the head : affected with or exhibiting chronic traumatic encephalopathy In the argot of the not-so-sweet science, he had been punch-drunk, his brain dying prematurely as a result of his taking so many blows to the head. — Sports Illustrated.
How do you know if your punch drunk?
n. A condition seen in boxers and alcoholics, caused by repeated cerebral concussions and characterized by weakness in the lower limbs, unsteadiness of gait, slowness of muscular movements, hand tremors, hesitancy of speech, and mental dullness.
Is punch drunk a real thing?
Punch drunk syndrome, or dementia pugilistica, or boxer's syndrome is also called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This condition is common among boxers. It is caused by head trauma and the condition typically develops about 16 years after the initial head injury.