Synonyms of sober

sober

adjective

ˈsō-bər 

1

as in straight

not having one's mind affected by alcohol

it's important to stay sober if you're going to be driving a car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• straight
• dry
• steady
• clearheaded
• cool
• abstinent
• abstemious
• temperate
• teetotal
• level

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drunk
• intoxicated
• drunken
• tipsy
• inebriated
• blind
• alcoholic
• boozy
• inebriate
• high
• stoned
• lit
• fried
• tight
• stiff
• stewed
• soused
• squiffy
• hammered
• plastered
• pickled
• crocked
• sloshed
• looped
• cockeyed
• sottish
• lit up
• bombed
• gassed
• wasted
• ripped
• juiced
• canned
• oiled
• blotto
• bibulous
• wiped out
• stinking
• smashed
• sozzled
• blasted
• tanked
• potted
• blitzed
• loaded
• crapulous
• maudlin
• pie-eyed
• squiffed
• dopey
• besotted
• dipsomaniacal
• tiddly
• dissolute
• befuddled
• debauched
• dissipated
• dopy

2

as in logical

based on sound reasoning or information

a sober assessment of the situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• logical
• reasonable
• reasoned
• sensible
• rational
• good
• valid
• solid
• hard
• informed
• justified
• true
• commonsense
• levelheaded
• plausible
• firm
• well-founded
• just
• commonsensical
• credible
• real
• validated
• commonsensible
• actual
• convincing
• certain
• sure
• cogent
• certified
• confirmed
• substantiated
• verified
• corroborated
• colorable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• irrational
• unreasonable
• uninformed
• illogical
• unsound
• unjustified
• unfounded
• nonsensical
• invalid
• nonrational
• groundless
• unsupported
• weak
• unwarranted
• unsubstantiated
• unreasoned
• nonvalid
• implausible
• unconvincing
• flimsy
• false
• misguided
• fallacious
• misled

3

as in solemn

not joking or playful in mood or manner

a sober reply to what was only a teasing comment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solemn
• serious
• stern
• earnest
• professional
• sedate
• staid
• humorless
• unsmiling
• distinguished
• harsh
• severe
• no-nonsense
• po-faced
• sobersided
• strict
• grave
• uncomic
• dignified
• weighty
• businesslike
• grim
• serious-minded
• gloomy
• elevated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• playful
• humorous
• joking
• flippant
• jocular
• facetious
• funny
• light
• flip
• riotous
• hysterical
• hilarious
• ludic
• ridiculous
• kittenish
• comical
• comic
• ludicrous
• farcical
• uproarious
• laughable
• droll
• hysteric
• antic
• lighthearted
• risible
• jesting
• frivolous
• goofy
• screaming
• foolish
• mad
• scatterbrained
• puerile
• insane
• crazy
• absurd
• silly
• unwise
• flighty
• harebrained
• lunatic
• zany
• sidesplitting
• nutty
• light-headed
• fatuous
• wacky
• whacky
• sappy
• loony
• senseless
• preposterous
• balmy
• nonsensical
• witless
• kooky
• jerky
• cuckoo
• daft
• asinine
• brainless
• daffy
• cockeyed
• featherbrained
• weak-minded
• looney
• dotty
• screwball
• half-witted
• kookie

4

as in quiet

not excessively showy

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• quiet
• muted
• subdued
• restrained
• conservative
• understated
• proper
• low-keyed
• low-key
• unpretentious
• simple
• repressed
• unflashy
• appropriate
• fitting
• toned-down
• suitable
• handsome
• modest
• graceful
• sensible
• plain
• unadorned
• practical
• becoming
• fit
• undecorated
• unobtrusive
• inconspicuous
• tasteful
• unnoticeable
• drab
• refined
• mousy
• mousey

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loud
• flamboyant
• noisy
• gaudy
• swanky
• flashy
• garish
• ostentatious
• glitzy
• swank
• meretricious
• splashy
• flaring
• tawdry
• vulgar
• tacky
• fancy
• trashy
• tasteless
• gilded
• baroque
• graceless
• inelegant
• razzle-dazzle
• gilt
• ornate
• rococo
• frilly
• overwrought
• overdecorated
• overdone

5

as in ascetic

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 & Similar Words

• ascetic
• ascetical
• abstinent
• abstemious
• temperate
• continent
• abstentious
• self-denying
• self-abnegating
• austere
• disciplined
• self-controlled
• self-disciplined
• self-governed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sensual
• greedy
• hedonistic
• gluttonous
• voluptuous
• voracious
• rapacious
• self-indulgent
• sybaritic
• masturbatory
• onanistic
• voluptuary
• self-pleasing
• Cyrenaic

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

Recent Examples of sober

He would be seen as someone who would continue in Francis’ tradition but as a more sober and timid diplomatic insider, returning an Italian to the papacy after three successive outsiders: St. John Paul II (Poland); Benedict (Germany) and Francis (Argentina). —Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025

Unscrupulous operators flooded our city with sober homes and rehabilitation facilities that were often little more than a means to exploit vulnerable individuals struggling with addiction. —Rob Long, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2025

Scottie Scheffler is known for his sober style on the golf course. —David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025

On the investment banking side, Solomon offered both a sober assessment of the impact of economic and trade-policy uncertainty, along with some optimism about the future. —Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025