Synonyms

sobering

American

[soh-ber-ing] / ˈsoʊ bər ɪŋ /

adjective

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

nonsobering adjective
soberingly adverb
unsobering adjective

Etymology

Origin of sobering

sober ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

They are sobering figures and, I hope, put your own situation into perspective.

From MarketWatch

Despite the sobering conclusions, Byrne remains enthusiastic about future exploration, particularly NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which is scheduled to fly past the moon in the spring of 2031.

From Science Daily

Perhaps the most sobering element of the game was how in control St Mirren were in the second half of a game of such magnitude.

From BBC

Given the Nancy error, it's got to be a sobering thought for supporters.

From BBC

Looking at long-term charts of silver can be very sobering, and wild-eyed internet gurus, heavy on dark conspiracism with proclamations of $10,000 silver, are hardly reassuring.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023