as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling
the unexpected soberness of the class clown at the memorial service was startling
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Recent Examples of soberness
Because of the way the director works, emotions tend to be more discussed than felt, although there’s something about Carla’s desperation that pierces through all the soberness.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soberness
Noun
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
-
Since that date, the Philadelphia Semiconductor ETF has continued to defy gravity, adding 20%, while the Magnificent 7 as a group is down 10%.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
Noun
-
Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
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Even if the earnestness is genuine, Véliz worries that the use of religious terminology and imagery around AI—deliberately or not—can make honest conversation harder to have.—
Chris Stokel-Walker,
Scientific American,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Gore is best known for Make America Great Again, her 2016 naked portrait of Trump with the paunch and solemnity of the great men of art history, adding, crucially, the tiniest of compensatory micropenises.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
As his own self-celebration has fizzled, a void has opened between the scheduled roster of events and the true purpose and meaning of the solemnity of July 4, 2026.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Season 3 opens with the Battle of the Gullet, the largest naval battle in the history of Westeros, and the moment that the Dance of Dragons kicks off in earnest.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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Canada’s work with the REACT Neuro virtual reality program started in earnest in June 2025.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Whitehead was also struck by Barer’s seriousness about her work as an agent—commitment to one’s calling being the signature quality of his protagonists.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
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In all seriousness, this isn’t meant to excuse Tampa Bay for losing a quality player.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soberness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soberness. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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