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Meaning & use

sober

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈsəʊ.bər/
US/ˈsoʊ.bɚ/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Not affected by alcohol or other drugs; clear in judgment and able to behave normally.

    Grammar: Can be predicative or before a noun; comparative forms exist but are uncommon: a sober driver, he was sober.

    Patterns

    • sober driver
    • stay sober
    • completely sober
    • sober for years

    She was the sober driver for the evening.

    He has stayed sober for five years.

    Wait until you are completely sober before you drive.

  2. adjectivecomparable

    Serious, calm, and realistic, without exaggeration, excitement, or excess.

    Grammar: Often before nouns like assessment, judgment, view; can be more/most sober in formal use.

    Patterns

    • sober assessment
    • sober judgment
    • sober analysis
    • a sober view

    The report offered a sober assessment of the risks.

    We need sober judgment, not slogans.

    She gave a sober account of the accident.

Common combinations

sober driver
They chose a sober driver before the party started.
stay sober
He learned strategies to stay sober at weddings.
sober assessment
The board requested a sober assessment of costs.
sobering thought
It is a sobering thought that half the food was wasted.

Synonyms and how they differ

clearheaded
Can describe not being drunk or thinking sensibly; sober covers both more naturally.
abstinent
Formal and specific to avoiding alcohol or drugs, not seriousness of tone.
serious
Matches the non-exaggerated sense but says nothing about alcohol.
temperate
Formal, often about moderate habits rather than a current state.

Opposites

drunkintoxicatedfrivolous

Word family

soberly adverb
In a serious, calm way.
sobriety noun
The state of being sober, from clearheadedness to freedom from alcohol.
sobering adjective
Making someone feel serious or aware of difficulty.

Commonly confused: sober or somber? sober or sob?

sober vs somber

Somber means dark, gloomy, or very serious; sober can mean not drunk or realistically serious.

sober vs sob

Sob means cry noisily; sober is an adjective, not a cry.

Practice

Which sentence uses sober to mean serious and realistic?

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