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definitions

sober

[soh-ber]
See more synonyms for sober on Thesaurus.com
adjective, so·ber·er, so·ber·est.
  1. not intoxicated or drunk.
  2. habitually temperate, especially in the use of liquor.
  3. quiet or sedate in demeanor, as persons.
  4. marked by seriousness, gravity, solemnity, etc., as of demeanor, speech, etc.: a sober occasion.
  5. subdued in tone, as color; not colorful or showy, as clothes.
  6. free from excess, extravagance, or exaggeration: sober facts.
  7. showing self-control: sober restraint.
  8. sane or rational: a sober solution to the problem.
verb (used with or without object)
  1. to make or become sober: (often followed by up).

Origin of sober

1300–50; Middle English sobre < Old French < Latin sōbrius
Related formsso·ber·ing·ly, adverbso·ber·ly, adverbso·ber·ness, nounnon·so·ber, adjectivenon·so·ber·ly, adverbnon·so·ber·ness, nounnon·so·ber·ing, adjectivequa·si-so·ber, adjectivequa·si-so·ber·ly, adverbun·so·ber, adjectiveun·so·ber·ly, adverbun·so·ber·ness, nounun·so·bered, adjectiveun·so·ber·ing, adjective

Synonyms for sober

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2. abstinent, abstemious. 4. serious, quiet, sedate, subdued, staid. See grave2. 5. somber, dull. 7. composed, collected. 8. reasonable, sound.

Antonyms for sober

4. gay.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for sobers

dim, mitigate, dampen, temper, restrain, soften, modulate, cloud, darken, deepen, reduce, shade, sober, soft-pedal, subdue

Examples from the Web for sobers

Contemporary Examples of sobers

Historical Examples of sobers

British Dictionary definitions for sobers

Sobers

noun
  1. Sir Garfield St Auburn, known as Garry. born 1936, West Indian (Barbadian) cricketer: an all-rounder, he played in 93 test matches (1954–74), 39 as captain, scoring 8,032 runs and taking 235 wickets; first man (1968) to score six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket

sober

adjective
  1. not drunk
  2. not given to excessive indulgence in drink or any other activity
  3. sedate and rationala sober attitude to a problem
  4. (of colours) plain and dull or subdued
  5. free from exaggeration or speculationhe told us the sober truth
verb
  1. (usually foll by up) to make or become less intoxicated, reckless, etc
Derived Formssobering, adjectivesoberingly, adverbsoberly, adverbsoberness, noun

Word Origin for sober

C14 sobre, from Old French, from Latin sōbrius
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
Word Origin and History for sobers

sober

adj.

mid-14c., "moderate in desires or actions, temperate, restrained," especially "abstaining from strong drink," also "calm, quiet, not overcome by emotion," from Old French sobre "decent; sober" (12c.), from Latin sobrius "not drunk, temperate, moderate, sensible," from a variant of se- "without" (see se-) + ebrius "drunk," of unknown origin. Meaning "not drunk at the moment" is from late 14c.; also "appropriately solemn, serious, not giddy." Related: Soberly; soberness. Sobersides "sedate, serious-minded person" is recorded from 1705.

sober

v.

late 14c., "reduce to a quiet condition" (transitive), from sober (adj.). Meaning "render grave or serious" is from 1726. Intransitive sense of "become sober" (since late 19c. often with up) is from 1820. Related: Sobered; sobering.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper