sober
Americanadjective
-
not intoxicated or drunk.
-
habitually temperate, especially in the use of liquor.
- Synonyms:
- abstemious, abstinent
-
quiet or sedate in demeanor, as persons.
-
marked by seriousness, gravity, solemnity, etc., as of demeanor, speech, etc..
a sober occasion.
- Antonyms:
- gay
-
subdued in tone, as color; not colorful or showy, as clothes.
-
free from excess, extravagance, or exaggeration.
sober facts.
-
showing self-control.
sober restraint.
-
sane or rational.
a sober solution to the problem.
- Synonyms:
- sound, reasonable
verb (used with or without object)
-
sobers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sobered,
past participle, past
-
sobering
present participle
adjective
-
not drunk
-
not given to excessive indulgence in drink or any other activity
-
sedate and rational
a sober attitude to a problem
-
(of colours) plain and dull or subdued
-
free from exaggeration or speculation
he told us the sober truth
verb
Synonym Usage
See grave 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonsobernessnoun
-
sobernessnoun
-
unsobernessnoun
-
nonsoberadjective
-
quasi-soberadjective
-
soberingadjective
-
unsoberadjective
-
unsoberedadjective
-
nonsoberlyadverb
-
quasi-soberlyadverb
-
soberinglyadverb
-
soberlyadverb
-
unsoberlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sobersimple
-
soberssimple
-
have soberedperfect
-
has soberedperfect
-
am soberingprogressive
-
are soberingprogressive
-
is soberingprogressive
-
have been soberingperfect progressive
-
has been soberingperfect progressive
Past
-
soberedsimple
-
had soberedperfect
-
was soberingprogressive
-
were soberingprogressive
-
had been soberingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sober
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sobre, from Old French, from Latin sōbrius
Explanation
This adjective means the opposite of playful or drunk. When attending a funeral, you are expected to be sober in both senses. The most common meaning of sober is "not drunk" — people who drive need to be sober. Sober sounds a lot like somber, and it often means sad and quiet too, or sometimes too serious. Another meaning is to be logical or realistic about something. Sometimes sober means drab: a grey station wagon is a more sober vehicle than a hot red convertible. All of these meanings are quiet and restrained — unlike a person who has had a lot to drink.
Vocabulary lists containing sober
A Raisin in the Sun
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The Things They Carried
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“But the bad tweets are 100 percent sober tweets.”
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Conviction rates are lower than when the person assaulted was sober.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Those who have worked with Machchhar, who lives with his wife and two children in Dubai, and others who know his family in Mumbai, describe him as very sober and grounded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
But despite the relaxed TED talk vibe, this was sober and serious speech.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
“My rouge won’t come off.” and Amy rubbed her brilliant cheek, and showed him her white glove with a sober simplicity that made him laugh outright.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
Harrelson's Monday night appearance as a guest on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," and a good deal soberer may have reminded us of that.
From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2023
Perhaps that strikes us like a quick, hard smack, makes us soberer and more respectful of facts?
From Washington Post ● Mar. 30, 2020
But in “Bare” as in “Wanderlust,” what starts as a renegade feminism gives way to a soberer truth.
From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2011
And while the story of Violet and Daisy’s journey toward a soberer recognition of their limits is not joyous, the art and craft that have gone into Condon’s production are full of joy.
From Washington Post
Having passed over these pleasant and exciting histories of personal adventure, the reader now returns to the soberer chronicles of general history.
From The History of Louisville, from the Earliest Settlement till the Year 1852 by Ben Casseday
Research shows Gen Z is one of the soberest generations ever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The soberest predictions of automation job loss still rely on a lattice of interlocking predictions that may not come true.
From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2021
But Barlow’s style was hyperbolic at the soberest of times.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2018
But Ms. Vincent chooses to perform “His Promised Land,” one of her own, in the soberest of a cappella arrangements, testifying in a properly awe-struck tone.
From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2012
On the big day, a dozen of our tall and not-so-tall young ladies presented themselves in their soberest hats, clutching letters of reference in their cleanest white gloves.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
“It sobers you to lose a vessel you knew so well.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 28, 2023
A Brooklyn chorus-girl sobers up the son and advises the daughter of a rich family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2019
Duncan MacMillan’s portrait of an actress and her addictions, vivified by a searing turn from Denise Gough, sobers up for the end of its run.
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2017
“That sobers you up, to realize you’re at the point where they’re honoring your body of work,” said Lucas, 71, who received the 2012 National Medal of Arts from President Obama.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 15, 2015
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring; There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.’
From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
“The realities of contemporary pricing sobered us up very quickly. We abandoned the idea.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Participants were almost uniformly sobered by the paucity of effective constraints on abuse of power.”
From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2024
But Osadchyi and other Ukrainian researchers have been sobered by what they’ve found so far.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 3, 2024
By next sunrise, the newly engaged lovers have sobered up, and the question of what everyone will think reasserts itself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2023
Receiving treatments like massage and hydrotherapy, Kate sobered, and remained sober for many months.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
"This is a sobering reminder of the power of nature," he added.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
Perhaps the most sobering statistic in this documentary is that there are eight million adults in the UK who struggle with even basic levels of literacy.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
But here’s a sobering estimate: to justify all the cash being invested in AI, American businesses and consumers would have to spend about as much on AI in 2032 as they do on food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh shared several sobering injury updates Monday in the wake of Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Dr. King’s funeral message served as a sobering call for justice.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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