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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sober different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sober are earnest, grave, sedate, serious, solemn, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When might earnest be a better fit than sober?

The synonyms earnest and sober are sometimes interchangeable, but earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When can grave be used instead of sober?

The meanings of grave and sober largely overlap; however, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When could sedate be used to replace sober?

The words sedate and sober can be used in similar contexts, but sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

When would serious be a good substitute for sober?

In some situations, the words serious and sober are roughly equivalent. However, serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

Where would solemn be a reasonable alternative to sober?

While the synonyms solemn and sober are close in meaning, solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

In what contexts can staid take the place of sober?

Although the words staid and sober have much in common, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sober Tewes, who is now sober, did not participate in Princess’s previous Love Boat Celebration at Sea cruises in 2024, to fans’ disappointment. Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 28 July 2025 Anyone who does reality TV either has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol or is sober because of aforementioned unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Michelle Cohn, Vulture, 24 July 2025 For court fashioned custody and visitation orders, the length of time a parent is sober is a good predictor of future sobriety. Patricia Fersch, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025 After restoring his reputation, getting sober, sending his daughter to ballet school, and saving golf from the clutches of Frank Manatee's Maxi Golf league, Happy (Adam Sandler) is last seen waving goodbye to his kids and taking a moment to acknowledge his heavenly ghosts. Lauren Huff Published, EW.com, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sober
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sober
Adjective
  • Some songs are two verses, some songs are straight through, but there’s still a refrain and a chorus.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
  • The rest of his teammates totaled just two hits as the Yankees lost their fifth straight game.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Determining adjacent products like donuts for coffee and chips for sodas is logical.
    Tamara Bebb, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Many have read Gödel and come away chastened by the limits of certainty—without concluding, as Richardson did, that the logical next step was to spend your life playing cards and paying prostitutes.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Shortly after the 12-day war concluded, Khamenei emerged from his bunker to lead a solemn religious ceremony.
    Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025
  • China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to such actions, and has lodged solemn representations with the Japanese side.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • Sheridan House Inn Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, Sheridan House Inn offers the perfect blend of luxury and comfort.
    Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The same quiet consensus building once hailed as an effective hallmark of her leadership is being challenged in new ways by interpersonal conflicts on City Council and critics who want bolder leadership.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In fact, the ascetic value of fasting from meat required that the person otherwise enjoy it.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Greens embodied the ascetic lushness of the farm-to-table movement, which, in Northern California, was synonymous with the Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse.
    John Birdsall, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • While the forecast remains relatively dry for Wednesday, Aug. 6, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington.
    Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Avoid tanning beds: Ultraviolet (UV) rays may lighten tattoos. Clean and moisturize: Don’t let the tattooed skin get too dry.
    Mark Gurarie, Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Regardless of what the future holds, Roman Anthony has set himself and his family up for life, and the Red Sox have locked in yet another piece of their future at a reasonable rate.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • There’s a reasonable fear, especially considering what happened the last time Cunningham mentioned the trend, that this would only attract additional misogynistic attacks.
    Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Some serious symptoms of a West Nile virus infection include fever, severe headaches, stiff neck, disorientation or confusion.
    Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Away from football, this has more serious ramifications.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sober. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sober

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