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.

The numbers get more sobering as one reads on.

From Barron's

Stratford’s assessment of where U.S.-China relations stand today is sobering.

From The Wall Street Journal

But he views the trajectory of icons like Hatton as a sobering warning.

From BBC

Arsenal remain in a superb position in the Premier League and have the Champions League and FA Cup in their sights, but this was a sobering and disappointing day for the Gunners.

From BBC

The words were a sobering declaration for any Fed chair, let alone one who until recently had spent his eight years avoiding public conflict with the president.

From The Wall Street Journal

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