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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 On season eight of the show, Radke butted heads with then-fiancée Lindsay Hubbard, who demanded more ambition from him and immediately nixed his idea for starting a sober sports bar. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 June 2025 His winding path to his dream role included a stint as a punk drummer and hitting pause on his country career to get sober. Bluesky Social, 5 June 2025 Battling drug addiction, Sink signed up for a Planet Fitness membership with the hope working out would keep him sober, according to a probable cause statement obtained by the Indianapolis Star. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025 Re: Florida boaters claim wrongful arrest and jail time for boating DUI despite being sober, by Shira Moolten Kudos to Gov. Ron DeSantis for implementing the Boater Freedom Act. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sober
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sober
Adjective
  • Third baseman Brett Baty was also out of the lineup for the third straight game with groin soreness.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025
  • Users were quick to point out the paradox of straight women using a song about gender fluidity to talk about their ex boyfriends.
    Rachel Hale, USA Today, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • While nothing is set in stone yet, this weekend would be the most logical time.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
  • In an interview with People about the move, Bateman said twice that most people listen to podcasts on phones, and therefore the telecom industry is a logical one for podcasters to enter.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • In the procedural drama, Rodríguez brings to life a multi-layered and solemn character shaped by a traumatic childhood — abused within the foster care system, with no knowledge of his origins, and struggling with severe dyslexia.
    Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • This protection -- known as the seal of confession -- is among the oldest and most solemn obligations in the Catholic Church, grounded in the Church’s teaching that, in the sacrament, penitents are confidentially confessing to and receiving forgiveness from God.
    Hiram Sasser, National Review, 15 June 2025
Adjective
  • When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of public emergency in 1975, normally boisterous outdoor meeting spaces, public buses, and pubs suddenly went quiet.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2025
  • The quiet horror is that even 20 years later, the fence has not disappeared.
    Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • But Pascal, for all the twinkle in his eye, often plays relatively sexless characters — from the fatherly energy of The Last of Us to the ascetic qualities of The Mandalorian.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 June 2025
  • Meanwhile, narratives of Ayyappan usually describe him as a god raised as a human prince who becomes a warrior and finally an ascetic.
    Deepa Das Acevedo, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2019
Adjective
  • That curl makes the nib of a fountain pen dry and scratchy.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • Along the way, hikers will pass by a few creeks — some dry, others with water — and cross over wooden bridges.
    Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Conrad is a 6-3 defenseman who can skate and has shown reasonable offense in the Q.
    Corey Pronman, New York Times, 20 June 2025
  • Recent verdicts have far exceeded historical benchmarks, and without reasonable limits, runaway jury awards threaten the city’s ability to fund essential services.
    Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • Historians often describe Flammarion more as a popularizer than a serious scientist, but this should not diminish his accomplishments.
    Matthew Shindell, Space.com, 29 June 2025
  • To be sure, there have been positive signs that the revival was working, not least because the Tata’s were prepared to deploy serious capital and effort to back its ambitions.
    Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sober. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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