An old, unkind word for someone who is drunk most of the time — a habitual heavy drinker. It is rare and clearly old-fashioned now.

An old, unkind word一個老式、不太客氣的詞 for someone用來說一個人 who is drunk most of the time大部分時間都醉醺醺的 — a habitual heavy drinker也就是慣性酗酒的人。It is rare現在很少見，and clearly old-fashioned now而且明顯過時了。

You will meet it in older novels, in plays, in translations, and sometimes in writing that is deliberately reaching for an old flavour ('the old sot down the road'). Nobody in Taiwan or anywhere else will say it to you on the street; today people say 'drunk', 'alcoholic', or the rougher 'drunkard' and 'boozer'.

in older novels較舊的小說裡, in plays戲劇裡, in translations翻譯作品裡, and sometimes in writing that is deliberately reaching for an old flavour還有時候刻意想要老派味道的文字裡 you will meet it都會看到這個字（比如 'the old sot down the road'「巷子那頭的老酒鬼」）。Nobody in Taiwan or anywhere else不管台灣還是其他地方都沒有人 will say it to you on the street會在街上這樣說你；today今天 people say人們會說 'drunk'drunk、'alcoholic'alcoholic，or the rougher 'drunkard' and 'boozer'或更粗俗的 drunkard 和 boozer。

The feeling of the word matters more than the definition. 'Alcoholic' is the modern medical word and treats drinking as an illness. 'Sot' does the opposite: it looks down on the person and calls them foolish, weak, a bit of a joke. That is not an accident — the word originally meant 'a fool, a stupid person', and only later narrowed to the drunken kind of fool.

than the definition比起字典定義, the feeling of the word這個字帶的「感覺」matters more更重要。'Alcoholic'Alcoholic is是現代醫學用語 the modern medical word, and treats drinking as an illness把喝酒當成一種病看待。'Sot'Sot does the opposite正好相反：it looks down on the person它看不起這個人, and calls them foolish, weak, a bit of a joke說他愚蠢、軟弱、有點可笑。That is not an accident這不是巧合 — the word originally meant 'a fool, a stupid person'這個字原本的意思是「傻瓜、笨人」, and only later narrowed to the drunken kind of fool後來才縮小成專指醉醺醺的那種傻瓜。

That old sense survives inside 'besotted'. You may also see it written 'drunken sot', which says the same thing twice, but the pair has been used together so long that it sounds normal in old writing.

inside 'besotted'在 besotted 這個字裡面 that old sense survives這個古老的意思還留著。You may also see it written 'drunken sot'你也可能看到 drunken sot 這種寫法, which says the same thing twice這其實是把同一個意思講兩遍, but the pair has been used together so long不過這兩個字搭在一起用太久了 that it sounds normal in old writing所以在老式文章裡讀起來很自然。

There is an old verb 'to sot' as well (to drink heavily, to make foolish), but it is genuinely dead and you can safely ignore it.

as well也有 an old verb 'to sot'一個古老的動詞 to sot (to drink heavily意思是拚命喝酒, to make foolish或讓人變傻), but它 is genuinely dead真的已經死透了, and you can safely ignore it你可以放心不用管它。