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
In addition to making the decision to get fit, Fleet also made the decision to get sober a couple years back. Tricia Despres, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 Who can look the most nonchalant, the most sober and yet the most elevated? Rachel Tashjian, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 There is an audience for sober and honest political writing, but it is limited in scope. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 8 Mar. 2024 The team is also connected with the Detroit chapter of The Phoenix, a network of individuals in recovery, which offers events, activities and resources for those looking to connect with other sober Detroiters. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Sixteen days later, the court issued what would have seemed, but for the coming election, an order reflecting a sober compromise. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Going into Summer House season 8, Radke had been sober for two and a half years. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Lewis, formerly a user of cocaine and crystal meth, said his decision to get sober was partly inspired by John Candy’s 1994 death. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 McSweeney stopped drinking again before Season 13 and was determined to remain sober while filming. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
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 There was, however, one sobering, bracing dose of reality: Ravi. Karan Mahajan, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 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

Dictionary Entries Near sober

Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sober. Accessed 28 Mar. 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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