sobering

1 of 2

adjective

so·​ber·​ing ˈsō-b(ə-)riŋ 

: tending to make one thoughtful or sober

sobering

2 of 2

present participle of sober entry 2

Examples of sobering in a Sentence

Adjective

His death is a sobering reminder of the dangers of mountaineering.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The first two episodes of the current season were about as dark and sobering as Slow Horses has gotten in its six-season run. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026

But a couple of weeks later, his physiotherapist gave him some sobering advice. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026

This breezy and insightful book, which takes the movie icon from the slums of New York to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, triumphant on Oscar night, is a sobering reminder of just how far Stallone had to go to make it. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Nearly two decades before her body was found in a gazebo not far from the Central Park’s popular boathouse Sunday, Elise Bainbridge Hill, 63, was the focus of a sobering documentary about how life’s twists and turns can shape a person’s existence. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1816, in the meaning defined above