soberer
ˈsō-bər-ər 
; soberest
ˈsō-b(ə-)rəst
; soberest
ˈsō-b(ə-)rəst
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
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
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
Dorothy L. Sayers2
: marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor
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
soberness
noun
Synonyms
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 WebHeller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
While the tone at CinemaCon, a weeklong gathering of theater owners, exhibitors and all the various companies involved in movie theater operations and experiences, is usually overwhelmingly positive, Aronson took a more sober approach.
—Lindsey Bahr, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
At the dance, Lionel is the sober one while Rigel fends off an inebriated Nica.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
Zendaya then said Rue could get sober and then become a pregnancy surrogate.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Enthusiasm can take a sober turn once the details come into play.
—USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Directed by Shelley Butler, the humorous play centers on a college student who depends on his four lovable grandparents amid his struggle to stay sober after rehab.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Restaurants have expanded mocktail lists, sober bars are on the rise, and non-alcoholic bottle shops are popping up in most major cities.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
Among many other ideas for the rewrites, Zendaya had pitched an idea in which Rue, who is now sober as a twentysomething young woman, would be a pregnancy surrogate.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024
So episode four was about showing up and meeting these officers and itching to get up there, and then being sobered by the devastation of what the mission really is.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024
The reality sobers everyone around the table, especially when Mrs. Johnson lovingly sets a bowl of rat stew before each person's plate.
Seriously.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 15 July 2023
Importantly, research has found certain core components of sobering care are essential to its success.
—Shannon Smith-Bernardin, STAT, 13 Dec. 2023
Second, emergency response laws and policies may restrict the ability of paramedics to transport their patients to sobering care.
—Shannon Smith-Bernardin, STAT, 13 Dec. 2023
The subsequent weeks and months became a haze of international bureaucracy, exasperating medical tests and sobering soul-searching as the stroke resulted in an aggressive form of dementia and Bahr became a globe-trotting caregiver.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
To keep China attuned to and sobered by that potential outcome, Washington must sustain and deepen coordination with as broad a coalition of countries as possible, not just advanced democracies in Europe and Asia.
—Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Learning from defeat and victory War sobers a people.
—Ronald Suny, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2023
Adjective
Lamott, who has been gratefully sober and a devout Christian since 1986, thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous and her supportive church community, is ever on the prowl for guidelines about how to live best.
—Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
While the tone at CinemaCon, a weeklong gathering of theater owners, exhibitors and all the various companies involved in movie theater operations and experiences, is usually overwhelmingly positive, Aronson took a more sober approach.
—Lindsey Bahr, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
At the dance, Lionel is the sober one while Rigel fends off an inebriated Nica.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
Zendaya then said Rue could get sober and then become a pregnancy surrogate.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Enthusiasm can take a sober turn once the details come into play.
—USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Directed by Shelley Butler, the humorous play centers on a college student who depends on his four lovable grandparents amid his struggle to stay sober after rehab.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Restaurants have expanded mocktail lists, sober bars are on the rise, and non-alcoholic bottle shops are popping up in most major cities.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
Among many other ideas for the rewrites, Zendaya had pitched an idea in which Rue, who is now sober as a twentysomething young woman, would be a pregnancy surrogate.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
The suggestion that Kate’s privacy has been breached once more has sobered many here in Britain, where public opinion has started to shift again.
—Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024
So episode four was about showing up and meeting these officers and itching to get up there, and then being sobered by the devastation of what the mission really is.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024
The reality sobers everyone around the table, especially when Mrs. Johnson lovingly sets a bowl of rat stew before each person's plate.
Seriously.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 15 July 2023
Importantly, research has found certain core components of sobering care are essential to its success.
—Shannon Smith-Bernardin, STAT, 13 Dec. 2023
Second, emergency response laws and policies may restrict the ability of paramedics to transport their patients to sobering care.
—Shannon Smith-Bernardin, STAT, 13 Dec. 2023
The subsequent weeks and months became a haze of international bureaucracy, exasperating medical tests and sobering soul-searching as the stroke resulted in an aggressive form of dementia and Bahr became a globe-trotting caregiver.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
To keep China attuned to and sobered by that potential outcome, Washington must sustain and deepen coordination with as broad a coalition of countries as possible, not just advanced democracies in Europe and Asia.
—Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Learning from defeat and victory War sobers a people.
—Ronald Suny, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2023
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
Phrases Containing sober
Articles Related to sober
Dictionary Entries Near sober
Cite this Entry
“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sober. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
sober
1 of 2 adjective
so·ber
ˈsō-bər
soberer
-bər-ər
; soberest
-b(ə-)rəst
; soberest
-b(ə-)rəst
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
soberness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on sober
Nglish: Translation of sober for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sober for Arabic Speakers
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