Drunk, elbowing wife aside -- that's contemptible (7)
I believe the answer is:
ignoble
'contemptible' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'drunk elbowing wife aside' is the wordplay.
'drunk' indicates an anagram.
'wife' becomes 'w' (abbreviation).
'aside' indicates named letters should be taken away (some letters put aside).
'elbowing' with 'w' taken away is 'elboing'.
'elboing' with letters rearranged gives 'IGNOBLE'.
'that's' is the link.
(Other definitions for ignoble that I've seen before include "Base, not honourable" , "Inferior" , "degenerate" , "Not honourable, low" , "Wretched, base" .)