not sober

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparableeuphemistic

   Having drunk alcohol and therefore not fully in control of your actions or speech.

   Grammar: Used after the verb be: He is not sober. It describes a temporary state, not a permanent quality.

   Patterns

   • be not sober
   • get not sober

   After three glasses of wine, he was not sober and could not drive.

   She realized she was not sober enough to give a clear speech.

   The party was loud, and by midnight most guests were not sober.

2. 2adjectivenot comparable

   Not serious, calm, or solemn; acting in a silly or excited way.

   Grammar: Used to describe a mood or behavior that is the opposite of serious: a not sober attitude.

   Patterns

   • be not sober
   • a not sober mood

   The meeting was not sober; everyone was laughing and joking.

   His not sober behavior surprised the teachers, who expected quiet.

   The occasion was not sober, but full of music and dancing.

Common combinations

not sober enough to drive

He was not sober enough to drive home safely.

not sober at all

She was not sober at all after the celebration.

completely not sober

By the end of the night, he was completely not sober.

not sober behavior

The teacher frowned at their not sober behavior in class.

Synonyms and how they differ

drunk

Drunk is the direct and common word; 'not sober' is a more polite or indirect way to say the same thing.

tipsy

Tipsy means slightly drunk; 'not sober' can mean slightly or very drunk, so it is less specific.

intoxicated

Intoxicated is a formal or medical word for being drunk; 'not sober' is simpler but still indirect.

Opposites

Commonly confused: not sober or sober?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “not sober”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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