sober
pronunciation
How to pronounce sober in British English:
UK [ˈsəʊbə(r)]
How to pronounce sober in American English:
US [ˈsoʊbər]
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- Verb:
- cause to become sober
- become more realistic
- become sober after excessive alcohol consumption
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- Adjective:
- not affected by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
- dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
- lacking brightness or color; dull
- completely lacking in playfulness
Word Origin
- sober
- sober: [13] Sober comes via Old French sobre from Latin sōbrius ‘not drunk’. This was the opposite of ēbrius ‘drunk’ (source of French ivre ‘drunk’ and English inebriate [15]), but where ēbrius came from, and precisely what connection the presumably related sōbrius has with it, are not known.=> inebriate
- 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 1847 often with up) is from 1820. Related: Sobered; sobering.
- 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.
Synonym
Antonym
Example
- 1. You should see him when he 's sober .
- 2. This sober view of globalisation deserves a wide audience .
- 3. What he doubtless thought was sober realism now reads like understatement .
- 4. This view owes as much to anti-urban bias as it does to sober analysis .
- 5. His face was impassive as ever , though something sober had melted into his eyes .