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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sober different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sober are earnest, grave, sedate, serious, solemn, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When might earnest be a better fit than sober?

The synonyms earnest and sober are sometimes interchangeable, but earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When can grave be used instead of sober?

The meanings of grave and sober largely overlap; however, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When could sedate be used to replace sober?

The words sedate and sober can be used in similar contexts, but sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

When would serious be a good substitute for sober?

In some situations, the words serious and sober are roughly equivalent. However, serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

Where would solemn be a reasonable alternative to sober?

While the synonyms solemn and sober are close in meaning, solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

In what contexts can staid take the place of sober?

Although the words staid and sober have much in common, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sober Anderson is Leroy, Cam’s wild, sober companion. Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025 Participants commit to what is generally a 10- to 14-day stay before having the option of moving into the nonprofit’s sober-living wing. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025 In 2024, an operator requested to establish a sober house with 30 occupants. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025 The lawyers noted that since being imprisoned, Diddy has become sober for the first time in years. Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sober
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sober
Adjective
  • Eventually, Hina pulled out the W, followed by Uli, as Kele lost their third straight competition.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The straight, glossy black hair instantly elevates any look, with a middle part that reads both classic and sharp.
    Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Fantasyland would be the most logical place for Harry to get a job as a ride operator.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
  • First, starting off with the shooting guard spot, Collin Sexton seems like the most logical candidate to slide into that role at the season’s outset.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Models walking the runway — staged at the Pinacoteca di Brera museum — had solemn expressions on their faces.
    Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
  • If anything, their Didi and Gogo (Winter plays the former, the more cerebral and anxious of the two, and Reeves the latter, the disgruntled yet tender beta clown) are still a little on the solemn side.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Britani, who has been all too quiet this whole time, sees an opening to make it about her, and thank god for that.
    Tom Smyth, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Tom Willander Willander had a quiet showing at prospect camp and training camp, then debuted with two sensational preseason performances against the Seattle Kraken and the Calgary Flames.
    Thomas Drance, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In fact, the ascetic value of fasting from meat required that the person otherwise enjoy it.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Greens embodied the ascetic lushness of the farm-to-table movement, which, in Northern California, was synonymous with the Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse.
    John Birdsall, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass, but other signs and symptoms include swelling of the breast, skin dimpling, breast or nipple pain, nipple discharge aside from breast milk and nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaky or thickened, according to ACS.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Check the soil with your finger and water the plant when the surface is dry.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The commission tabled the item to provide more time for Experience Fayetteville staff to evaluate the worth of the property, the house's annual expenses, a reasonable market-rate rent range and the total cost of repairs to the property paid for by Experience Fayetteville.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The federal law requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities unless doing so would cause undue hardship.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Roundabouts help eliminate the types of crashes more likely to cause serious injuries or death.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The production came just in time to help the Angels (72-88) put a serious dent in the Astros’ chances of going to the playoffs.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sober. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sober

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