sobering

[soh-ber-ing]

adjective

1. serious, grave, or solemn.

   One of the most sobering visits was to the cemetery at Omaha Beach where 18,000 American servicemen lie buried.

   The agency has issued a sobering warning about the health of the world's oceans.

Other Word Forms

• soberingly adverb
• nonsobering adjective
• unsobering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sobering¹

sober ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

What is even more sobering is that these large, flowing bodies of ice can take decades to fully adjust to the rapidly warming climate.

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Either way, it’s a sobering way to introduce an ending as compassionately doom-laden as any Pynchon has ever given us.

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It is a sobering reminder that desperate people will keep trying to reach Europe, despite the enormous risks.

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Each passing week brings a sobering headline about how news organizations are either adapting or shuttering because of rapid economical, technological and cultural shifts, as well as responding to political pressure.

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Three days later, from my own evacuation perch, I opened Facebook to find that his daughter, Tami, had posted a sobering confirmation, which read in part:

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Related Words

• dangerous 
• deep 
• difficult 
• far-reaching 
• grievous 
• important 
• major 
• meaningful 
• severe 
• significant 
• tough 
• urgent