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 Words From

• so·ber·ing·ly adverb
• non·so·ber·ing adjective
• un·so·ber·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sobering¹

sober ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

Still, any company that spends even thousands of dollars on TV ads, much less millions or billions, would have to be sobered by Anna Tuchman’s findings.

From Freakonomics

From late 2011 through 2012 and into 2013 in meeting rooms in various cities, sober administrators who manage a non-sober sport came to gradual and then vast layers of agreement.

From Washington Post

The survey asked individuals about their most memorable rendezvous with a supreme figure, either when sober or when they had taken a psychedelic.

From Popular-Science

Despite everything they went through in the past, they decided to get sober, and a lot of them are four and five months sober.

From Washington Post

People who wish to use mind-altering substances should make sure to take them in a safe, controlled setting with a sober buddy to keep an eye on them.

From Popular-Science

A sobering article on gang rape inside a UVA fraternity has Wahoo alumni like myself up in arms.

From The Daily Beast

For these people the disaster over the Mojave Desert is a sobering wake-up call.

From The Daily Beast

What Webb offers is a sobering, moralistic way of looking at the world.

From The Daily Beast

A sobering CollegeHumor video reflects on the social consequences of every single activity in your daily life.

From The Daily Beast

It is sobering and extremely disappointing to find that heroes of past generations played it so close to the dark side.

From The Daily Beast

"Poor old Dan Higgins," said Andy, with a sobering of his good-natured face.

From Project Gutenberg

Their arrival had an oddly sobering effect upon young Westmacott, for which Mr. Vallancey was thankful.

From Project Gutenberg

He ate them all himself slowly, and was so very quiet and well-behaved all the time that Tommy hoped he was sobering down.

From Project Gutenberg

"I have my sweater," replied the girl, her gay face sobering.

From Project Gutenberg

It was merely a case of "sobering up" explained the peace-maker, as he rejoined the street crowd.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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