sober
1 of 2adjective
so·ber ˈsō-bər 
soberer ˈsō-bər-ər ; soberest ˈsō-b(ə-)rəst
; soberest ˈsō-b(ə-)rəst 1
a
: not intoxicated
He's a half-decent guy when he's sober, but when he's drunk, he's just not accountable for what he does, and he spends a lot of time drunk.
Stephen King
Stephen King b
: abstaining from drinking alcohol or taking intoxicating drugs : refraining from the use of addictive substances (see substance sense 3c)
Blossom learns that life isn't always rosy, especially for recovering substance abusers, when she discovers her brother Anthony—clean and sober for two years—wilting when he's tempted by a liquor bottle. TV Guide
TV Guide c
: sparing in the use of food and drink : abstemious
He was a large, saturnine man, … comparatively sober in his habits, as people must be who make money out of other people's vices. Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy L. Sayers2
: marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor
3
: unhurried, calm
4
: marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness
a sober candlelight vigil
5
: subdued in tone or color
6
: showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice
soberly
ˈsō-bər-lē
adverb soberness noun
sober
2 of 2verb
sobered; sobering ˈsō-b(ə-)riŋ
transitive verb
: to make sober
intransitive verb
: to become sober —usually used with up
Synonyms
Adjective
- clearheaded
- straight
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective I'm driving, so I have to stay sober tonight. He is a sober, hardworking farmer. The story is a sober look at drug abuse. Illness is a sober reminder of our mortality. The article is a sober reflection on the state of our nation. Verb He returned home from the war, saddened and sobered by his experiences. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Tommy Mcardle, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2022 Scott, a behavioral health consultant, checked into a treatment facility in February 2022 after 20 years of being sober. Megan Leonhardt, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2022 But investigators determined that the tractor-trailer driver was sober, and years later Biden apologized to one of the driver’s daughters for repeating the false story. Adam Entous, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 The Scottish voices in the video message are sober. Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2022 Was the prime minister sober enough to handle an emergency had one arisen? Kostya Manenkov And Karl Ritter, USA TODAY, 21 Aug. 2022 Yet the actual profile and interview, ostensibly centered on Mrs. Zelensky (Olena Zelenska), comes across as sober, gritty and thoroughly focused on Ukraine’s struggles. Melik Kaylan, WSJ, 1 Aug. 2022 If the situation sounds rather dismal, Andrew Scull’s comprehensive, sober, and compulsively readable history of psychiatry, Desperate Remedies, isn’t designed to put the reader’s mind at ease. Daphne Merkin, The Atlantic, 10 July 2022 Sabathia, sober for seven years in October, didn’t flinch. Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 July 2022 Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Aug. 2022 Reality can quickly sober the joy of auction victory. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 1 July 2022 Friedman sets the scene by reminding us that starting well before 1973, Cohen had a reputation for being gloomy and restless, prone to depression and drugs, and whether high or sober a seductive charmer of women. Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2022 Schmidt explained to the nurse that there was nothing for her father to sober up from. Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2022 Putin’s war has been enough of a shock to sober up even such figures as Annalena Baerbock, the leader of Germany’s thoroughly loopy Green Party, who has taken a hard turn toward realism in her new role as foreign minister. Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 17 Mar. 2022 Has any drunk person ever noshed on an apple to sober up? William Earl, Variety, 21 Mar. 2022 Does this stem from the misconception some people have that coffee will sober them up after drinking? Larry Greenemeier, Scientific American, 9 Nov. 2010 Sobering mats are a place where homeless people who want help can be taken immediately and offered a safe place to sober up. Joe Tash, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Jan. 2022 See More
Adjective
Eminem has been sober since April 20, 2008, according to a 2020 Twitter post, and made his 2009 album Relapse during the early days of recovery. Tommy Mcardle, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2022 Scott, a behavioral health consultant, checked into a treatment facility in February 2022 after 20 years of being sober. Megan Leonhardt, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2022 But investigators determined that the tractor-trailer driver was sober, and years later Biden apologized to one of the driver’s daughters for repeating the false story. Adam Entous, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 The Scottish voices in the video message are sober. Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2022 Was the prime minister sober enough to handle an emergency had one arisen? Kostya Manenkov And Karl Ritter, USA TODAY, 21 Aug. 2022 Yet the actual profile and interview, ostensibly centered on Mrs. Zelensky (Olena Zelenska), comes across as sober, gritty and thoroughly focused on Ukraine’s struggles. Melik Kaylan, WSJ, 1 Aug. 2022 If the situation sounds rather dismal, Andrew Scull’s comprehensive, sober, and compulsively readable history of psychiatry, Desperate Remedies, isn’t designed to put the reader’s mind at ease. Daphne Merkin, The Atlantic, 10 July 2022 Sabathia, sober for seven years in October, didn’t flinch. Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 July 2022 Verb
From a dovish Fed that spiked the proverbial punch bowl to a hawkish one that's trying to sober everyone up with higher interest rates. Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Aug. 2022 Reality can quickly sober the joy of auction victory. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 1 July 2022 Friedman sets the scene by reminding us that starting well before 1973, Cohen had a reputation for being gloomy and restless, prone to depression and drugs, and whether high or sober a seductive charmer of women. Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2022 Schmidt explained to the nurse that there was nothing for her father to sober up from. Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2022 Putin’s war has been enough of a shock to sober up even such figures as Annalena Baerbock, the leader of Germany’s thoroughly loopy Green Party, who has taken a hard turn toward realism in her new role as foreign minister. Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 17 Mar. 2022 Has any drunk person ever noshed on an apple to sober up? William Earl, Variety, 21 Mar. 2022 Does this stem from the misconception some people have that coffee will sober them up after drinking? Larry Greenemeier, Scientific American, 9 Nov. 2010 Sobering mats are a place where homeless people who want help can be taken immediately and offered a safe place to sober up. Joe Tash, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English sobre, from Anglo-French, from Latin sobrius; akin to Latin ebrius drunk
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Phrases Containing sober
Kids Definition
sober 1 of 2
adjective
so·ber ˈsō-bər
soberer; soberest
1
: not drinking too much : temperate
2
: not drunk
3
: having or showing a serious attitude : solemn
a sober voice
4
: having a plain color
sober clothes
5
: carefully reasoned or considered
a sober reminder
sober
2 of 2verb
sobered; sobering
1
: to make or become less drunk
2
: to make or become serious or thoughtful The news sobered us.
sober
adjective
1
as in dry
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
Relevance
- dry
- straight
- clearheaded
- steady
- abstinent
- abstemious
- cool
- teetotal
- temperate
- level
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- drunk
- intoxicated
- drunken
- tipsy
- inebriated
- alcoholic
- blind
- inebriate
- boozy
- stoned
- sozzled
- high
- squiffy
- soused
- lit
- blotto
- stewed
- tight
- stiff
- fried
- sloshed
- crocked
- hammered
- plastered
- sottish
- pickled
- cockeyed
- gassed
- bombed
- looped
- bibulous
- lit up
- juiced
- wasted
- oiled
- canned
- ripped
- stinking
- tanked
- blitzed
- smashed
- crapulous
- wiped out
- blasted
- potted
- loaded
- maudlin
- dipsomaniacal
- pie-eyed
- squiffed
- dopey
- besotted
- befuddled
- dissolute
- tiddly
- debauched
- dopy
- dissipated
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
- informed
- solid
- hard
- justified
- true
- levelheaded
- commonsense
- just
- plausible
- firm
- commonsensical
- credible
- real
- validated
- commonsensible
- convincing
- well-founded
- actual
- cogent
- sure
- certain
- substantiated
- certified
- verified
- corroborated
- confirmed
- colorable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- irrational
- uninformed
- unreasonable
- illogical
- unsound
- nonrational
- nonsensical
- unjustified
- unfounded
- weak
- invalid
- nonvalid
- unsupported
- groundless
- unreasoned
- unconvincing
- unsubstantiated
- misguided
- implausible
- unwarranted
- false
- flimsy
- 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
- earnest
- stern
- sedate
- professional
- staid
- humorless
- unsmiling
- distinguished
- no-nonsense
- dignified
- harsh
- sobersided
- po-faced
- businesslike
- severe
- strict
- grave
- uncomic
- grim
- weighty
- serious-minded
- gloomy
- elevated
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- playful
- humorous
- flippant
- joking
- jocular
- facetious
- funny
- light
- riotous
- hysterical
- hilarious
- comical
- kittenish
- ridiculous
- ludic
- lighthearted
- uproarious
- ludicrous
- flip
- droll
- comic
- laughable
- hysteric
- farcical
- jesting
- antic
- goofy
- risible
- frivolous
- foolish
- mad
- scatterbrained
- screaming
- puerile
- insane
- crazy
- silly
- zany
- absurd
- lunatic
- unwise
- light-headed
- flighty
- nutty
- fatuous
- whacky
- wacky
- sidesplitting
- harebrained
- sappy
- loony
- kooky
- balmy
- daft
- witless
- preposterous
- nonsensical
- jerky
- daffy
- asinine
- brainless
- cuckoo
- featherbrained
- cockeyed
- senseless
- dotty
- looney
- half-witted
- kookie
- weak-minded
- screwball
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
- subdued
- restrained
- muted
- conservative
- low-keyed
- understated
- unpretentious
- low-key
- proper
- unflashy
- simple
- repressed
- appropriate
- toned-down
- sensible
- handsome
- fitting
- graceful
- modest
- suitable
- unadorned
- practical
- plain
- tasteful
- undecorated
- unobtrusive
- fit
- inconspicuous
- becoming
- refined
- drab
- unnoticeable
- mousy
- mousey
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- loud
- flamboyant
- swanky
- flashy
- gaudy
- glitzy
- noisy
- swank
- garish
- ostentatious
- meretricious
- tawdry
- splashy
- trashy
- vulgar
- tacky
- fancy
- flaring
- gilded
- baroque
- graceless
- tasteless
- razzle-dazzle
- inelegant
- ornate
- rococo
- overwrought
- gilt
- frilly
- 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
- abstinent
- abstemious
- ascetical
- abstentious
- temperate
- continent
- self-abnegating
- self-denying
- austere
- disciplined
- self-controlled
- self-disciplined
- self-governed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hedonistic
- sensual
- voluptuous
- gluttonous
- greedy
- voracious
- sybaritic
- self-indulgent
- rapacious
- voluptuary
- masturbatory
- onanistic
- self-pleasing
- Cyrenaic
Synonym Chooser
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
The synonyms earnest and sober are sometimes interchangeable, but earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.
an earnest reformer
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
The words sedate and sober can be used in similar contexts, but sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.
remained sedate amid the commotion
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
While the synonyms solemn and sober are close in meaning, solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.
a sad and solemn occasion
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
- priapulid
- priapulida
- Priapuloidea
- Priapus
- priapuses
- Priapusian
- priapusses
- prib
- pribble
- Pribilof Islands
- price
- price (someone) out of the market
- price concession
- price current
- price discrimination
- price gouging
- price index
- price leadership
- price level
- price line
- price lining
- price list
- price mechanism
- price of money
- price oneself out of the market