sober

/ˈsoʊbər/
/ˈsʌʊbə/
IPA guide

Other forms: sobered; sobering; soberer; soberest; sobers; soberingly

This adjective means the opposite of playful or drunk. When attending a funeral, you are expected to be sober in both senses.

The most common meaning of sober is "not drunk" — people who drive need to be sober. Sober sounds a lot like somber, and it often means sad and quiet too, or sometimes too serious. Another meaning is to be logical or realistic about something. Sometimes sober means drab: a grey station wagon is a more sober vehicle than a hot red convertible. All of these meanings are quiet and restrained — unlike a person who has had a lot to drink.

Definitions of sober
  1. adjective
    not affected by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
    synonyms:
    cold sober, stone-sober
    totally sober
    drug-free
    characteristic of a person not taking illegal drugs or of a place where no illegal drugs are used
    dry, teetotal
    practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages
    uninebriated, unintoxicated
    not inebriated
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    intoxicated
    stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
    bacchanal, bacchanalian, bacchic, carousing, orgiastic
    used of riotously drunken merrymaking
    beery
    smelling of beer
    cockeyed
    very drunk
    potty
    slightly intoxicated
    bibulous, boozy, drunken, sottish
    given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol
    drugged, narcotised, narcotized
    under the influence of narcotics
    half-seas-over
    British informal for `intoxicated'
    high, mellow
    slightly and pleasantly intoxicated from alcohol or a drug (especially marijuana)
    hopped-up, stoned
    under the influence of narcotics
    show more antonyms...
  2. adjective
    lacking brightness or color; dull
    “sober Puritan grey”
    synonyms: drab, somber, sombre
    colorless, colourless
    weak in color; not colorful
  3. adjective
    dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
    “as sober as a judge”
    synonyms: grave, sedate, solemn
    serious
    concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
  4. adjective
    completely lacking in playfulness
    synonyms: serious, unplayful
  5. verb
    become sober after excessive alcohol consumption
    synonyms: sober up
    see moresee less
    type of:
    become, get, go, wax
    enter or assume a certain state or condition
  6. verb
    cause to become sober
    “A sobering thought”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    alter, change, modify
    cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
  7. verb
    become more realistic
    “After thinking about the potential consequences of his plan, he sobered up”
    synonyms: sober up
    see moresee less
    type of:
    become, get, go, wax
    enter or assume a certain state or condition
Pronunciation
US
/ˈsoʊbər/
UK
/ˈsʌʊbə/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘sober'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing sober

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A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry

In the 1940s, a working class African-American family in Chicago must decide how to best spend a ten-thousand dollar insurance payout.

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The Things They Carried
Tim O'Brien

A series of linked stories explores the lifelong effects of trauma on a platoon of soldiers during and after the Vietnam War.

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain

This American classic chronicles the exploits of Huck and Jim: one is running away from an abusive father and the other is fleeing enslavement. Read the full text here.

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