酗酒 (xùjiǔ): to drink excessively

Meanings

Tā yīnwèi xùjiǔ shīqùle gōngzuò.

He lost his job because of excessive drinking.

Xùjiǔ duì shēntǐ shānghài hěn dà.

Alcohol abuse causes great harm to the body.

usage

酗酒 implies habitual or dangerous drinking, not casual drinking. For normal drinking, use 喝酒. Compare: 喝酒 (drink alcohol) vs 酗酒 (abuse alcohol).

memory

酗 contains 凶 (fierce/violent) next to the alcohol radical 酉, suggesting violent or dangerous drinking behavior.

酗 xù

酒 jiǔ