noun
drunk person; drunkard
Refers to a person who is very drunk, often to the point of losing control or passing out. Slightly formal or written; in casual speech 酔っ払い is more common.
終電を逃した泥酔者が駅のベンチで寝ていた。
A drunk person who missed the last train was sleeping on a bench at the station.
警察は路上で騒ぐ泥酔者を保護した
The police took a drunkard making noise on the street into protective custody.
Literary or old-fashioned word for a drunken man. 泥酔者 is more neutral and modern.
Compound of 泥酔 (deisui, 'dead drunk') + 者 (sha, 'person').