sober
not intoxicated or drunk.
habitually temperate, especially in the use of liquor.
quiet or sedate in demeanor, as persons.
marked by seriousness, gravity, solemnity, etc., as of demeanor, speech, etc.: a sober occasion.
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.
to make or become sober: (often followed by up).
Origin of sober
1synonym study For sober
word story For sober
Ēbrius ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root egwh- “to drink” (the consonant gwh regularly becomes b in Latin and ph in Greek). The Latin suffix -ri- added to egwh- yields the stem for the adjective ēbrius. In Greek, the root egwh- is prefixed by the negative particle ne-, becoming first nēgwh and then nēph-, the stem of the Greek verb nḗphein “to be sober.”
Other words for sober
Opposites for sober
Other words from sober
- so·ber·ly, adverb
- so·ber·ness, noun
- non·so·ber, adjective
- non·so·ber·ly, adverb
- non·so·ber·ness, noun
- qua·si-so·ber, adjective
- qua·si-so·ber·ly, adverb
- un·so·ber, adjective
- un·so·ber·ly, adverb
- un·so·ber·ness, noun
- un·so·bered, adjective
Words Nearby sober
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sober in a sentence
Cruz stayed sober for a while, but when Raeann’s first birthday after the accident passed, he relapsed.
Victor Ray Cruz Wanted to Turn His Life Around — Then He Got the Coronavirus | Maya Srikrishnan and Adriana Heldiz | October 22, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoVan Halen, sober since 2008, lost one-third of his tongue to a cancer that eventually drifted into his esophagus.
After the officers left, he got back up and asked the attendant if he could leave, since he was sober.
Those Ticketed for Seditious Language Say Their Only Crime Was Talking Back | Kate Nucci | September 9, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoSome in recovery — even those clean and sober for decades — say they have doubled or tripled their recovery meeting attendance during the pandemic.
On the other hand, use the rel values such as ugc to tag your user-generated content, and sponsored for the paid links — this will help Google make a sober assessment of your ranking.
I try to stay sober enough to maneuver back to West Hollywood.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe manages to talk one of them into a glass or two, but for the most part he remains sober.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd things seemed fine between the couple, with the crooner appearing sober and healthier-looking, with a new crew cut.
Creed Singer Scott Stapp’s Fall From Grace: From 40 Million Albums Sold to Living in a Holiday Inn | Marlow Stern | November 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTToday, however, the 36-year-old musician is sober—and even showers once in a while.
Julian Casablancas Enters the Void: On the Strokes’ Friction, Why He Left NYC, and Starting Over | Marlow Stern | October 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe's well spoken, educated, and sober—a far cry from the one-time face of the adult world, Jenna Jameson.
Porn Keeps Up with the Kardashians: Belle Knox on the Mainstreaming of Adult Stars | Aurora Snow | September 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis does not seem strange when we know what a sober, serious, dignified man Yung Pak's father was.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeIn sober truth it might as well lay one open to the charge of being an ornithologist.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockDarry Drew was one of those quiet, gentlemanly fellows, who seem rather too sober for their years.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn | Margaret PenroseTo which Mr. Sikes replied, he was joking;as if he had been sober, there would have been strong reason to suppose he was.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles DickensThat counter-blast of passion and that plain speaking from a quarter so unexpected served, in part at least, to sober him.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
British Dictionary definitions for sober
/ (ˈsəʊbə) /
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
(usually foll by up) to make or become less intoxicated, reckless, etc
Origin of sober
1Derived forms of sober
- sobering, adjective
- soberingly, adverb
- soberly, adverb
- soberness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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