sobering
Something that's sobering is serious, and even a little bit worrying. It's sobering to learn that someone you love is very ill.
You can use the adjective sobering when you talk about news that feels heavy and important. Environmental studies about climate change are sobering, and statistics about the number of stray dogs and cats in the country are sobering too. Things that are sobering make you feel sober, or serious and solemn. The Latin root, sobrius, means "not intoxicated," which is also the original definition of sober.
-
tending to make sober or more serious“the news had a sobering effect”synonyms:seriousconcerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing sobering
Rich with allusions to the Bible and Greek mythology, Toni Morrison's coming-of-age novel tells the story of Milkman's journey to find his roots.
This nonfiction book examines voting in the United States and identifies ways to make government more democratic and to make voting more accessible.
In 1989 Romania, with the country controlled by a dictator, seventeen-year-old aspiring writer Cristian Florescu dreams of freedom, especially when he is blackmailed by the secret police into informing on the family of an American diplomat.