sober

1 of 2

adjective

so·​ber ˈsō-bər How to pronounce sober (audio)
1
a
: not intoxicated
He's a half-decent guy when he's sober, but when he's drunk, he's just not accountable for what he does, and he spends a lot of time drunk.Stephen King
b
: abstaining from drinking alcohol or taking intoxicating drugs : refraining from the use of addictive substances (see substance sense 3c)
Blossom learns that life isn't always rosy, especially for recovering substance abusers, when she discovers her brother Anthony—clean and sober for two years—wilting when he's tempted by a liquor bottle.TV Guide
c
: sparing in the use of food and drink : abstemious
He was a large, saturnine man, … comparatively sober in his habits, as people must be who make money out of other people's vices.Dorothy L. Sayers
2
: marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor
3
4
: marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness
a sober candlelight vigil
5
: subdued in tone or color
6
: showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice
soberly adverb
soberness noun

sober

2 of 2

verb

sobered; sobering ˈsō-b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce sober (audio)

transitive verb

: to make sober

intransitive verb

: to become sober
usually used with up
Choose the Right Synonym for sober

serious, grave, solemn, sedate, staid, sober, earnest mean not light or frivolous.

serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

Examples of sober in a Sentence

Adjective I'm driving, so I have to stay sober tonight. He is a sober, hardworking farmer. The story is a sober look at drug abuse. Illness is a sober reminder of our mortality. The article is a sober reflection on the state of our nation. Verb He returned home from the war, saddened and sobered by his experiences.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
One of the more sober models in the Jacob & Co. line, this 42mm stainless steel timepiece comes with a black onyx dial and features a big date at 12 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock. Sophie Furley, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2024 One of the hardest things to market around sober culture is a sense of indulgence. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
Just as the San Diego baseball world was celebrating the Padres’ sweep of the best-of-three Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, sobering news suddenly silenced the euphoria. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 From harrowing recreations of world wars to sobering modern-day documentaries, Netflix has all manner of war films. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sober 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sober.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sobre, from Anglo-French, from Latin sobrius; akin to Latin ebrius drunk

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of sober was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sober

Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sober. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sober

1 of 2 adjective
so·​ber ˈsō-bər How to pronounce sober (audio)
soberer -bər-ər How to pronounce sober (audio) ; soberest -b(ə-)rəst How to pronounce sober (audio)
1
a
: sparing especially in the use of food and drink
b
: not drunk
2
: having a serious attitude : solemn
3
: having a quiet tone or color
4
: well reasoned and balanced
a sober decision
soberly adverb
soberness noun

sober

2 of 2 verb
sobered; sobering -b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce sober (audio)
: to make or become sober

More from Merriam-Webster on sober

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