Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

sober

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of sober

1 not having one's mind affected by alcohol

  • itʼs important to stay sober if youʼre going to be driving a car
Synonyms of sober

clearheaded, straight
Words Related to sober

abstemious, abstinent, dry, teetotal, temperate

cool, level, steady
Near Antonyms of sober

alcoholic, bibulous, crapulous, dipsomaniacal

maudlin, tiddly [chiefly British]

befuddled, besotted, dopey (also dopy)

debauched, dissipated, dissolute
Antonyms of sober

blasted [slang], blind, blitzed [slang], blotto [slang], bombed, boozy, canned [slang], cockeyed, crocked, drunk, drunken, fried, gassed, hammered [slang], high, inebriate, inebriated, intoxicated, juiced [slang], lit, lit up, loaded [slang], looped, oiled [slang], pickled, pie-eyed, plastered, potted [slang], ripped [slang], sloshed [slang], smashed [slang], sottish, soused, sozzled, squiffed (or squiffy), stewed, stiff, stinking [slang], stoned, tanked [slang], tight, tipsy, wasted [slang], wiped out [slang]

2 based on sound reasoning or information

  • a sober assessment of the situation
Synonyms of sober

commonsense, commonsensible, commonsensical, firm, good, hard, informed, just, justified, levelheaded, logical, rational, reasonable, reasoned, sensible, solid, valid, well-founded
Words Related to sober

actual, real, true

certain, sure

certified, validated, verified

confirmed, corroborated, substantiated

cogent, convincing

colorable, credible, plausible
Near Antonyms of sober

unsubstantiated, unsupported, unwarranted

flimsy, implausible, unconvincing, weak

fallacious, false, misguided, misled
Antonyms of sober

groundless, illogical, invalid, irrational, nonrational, nonsensical, nonvalid, unfounded, uninformed, unjustified, unreasonable, unreasoned, unsound

3 not joking or playful in mood or manner

  • a sober reply to what was only a teasing comment
Synonyms of sober

earnest, grave, humorless, no-nonsense, po-faced [British], sedate, serious, severe, sobersided, solemn, staid, uncomic, unsmiling, weighty
Words Related to sober

harsh, stern, strict

businesslike, professional

dignified, distinguished, elevated, serious-minded

gloomy, grim
Near Antonyms of sober

antic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, hysterical (also hysteric), laughable, light, light-headed, ludicrous, ridiculous, riotous, risible, screaming, sidesplitting, uproarious

featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, goofy, harebrained, lighthearted, puerile, scatterbrained

absurd, asinine, balmy, brainless, cockeyed, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dotty, fatuous, foolish, half-witted, insane, jerky, kooky (also kookie), loony (also looney), lunatic, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, senseless, silly, unwise, wacky (also whacky), weak-minded, witless, zany
Antonyms of sober

facetious, flip, flippant, humorous, jesting, jocular, joking, kittenish, ludic, playful

4 not excessively showy

  • if you don't have anything in black, at least wear a sober outfit to the funeral
Synonyms of sober

conservative, low-key (also low-keyed), muted, quiet, repressed, restrained, subdued, toned-down, understated, unflashy, unpretentious
Words Related to sober

appropriate, becoming, fit, fitting, proper, suitable

modest, plain, simple, unadorned, undecorated

inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unobtrusive

graceful, handsome, refined, tasteful

drab, mousy (or mousey)

practical, sensible
Near Antonyms of sober

meretricious

graceless, inelegant, tacky, tasteless, tawdry, trashy, vulgar

baroque, fancy, frilly, gilded (or gilt), ornate, rococo

overdecorated, overdone, overwrought
Antonyms of sober

flamboyant, flaring, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, loud, noisy, ostentatious, razzle-dazzle, splashy, swank (or swanky)

5 given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites

  • cruise passengers of sober dispositions will be put off by the focus on nonstop dining
Synonyms of sober

abstemious, abstentious, abstinent, continent, self-abnegating, self-denying, temperate
Words Related to sober

ascetic (also ascetical), austere

disciplined, self-controlled, self-disciplined, self-governed
Near Antonyms of sober

gluttonous, greedy, rapacious, voracious

Cyrenaic, hedonistic, self-pleasing, sensual, sybaritic, voluptuous, voluptuary

masturbatory, onanistic
Antonyms of sober

self-indulgent

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about sober

  1. See words that rhyme with sober Dictionary: Definition of sober Spanish Central: Translation of sober Nglish: Translation of sober for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sober for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up sober? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games