/ˈsəʊ.bə(ɹ)/, /ˈsoʊ.bɚ/
OriginInherited from Middle English sober, from Old French sobre, from Latin sōbrius, from se- (“without”) + ebrius (“intoxicated”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁egʷʰ- (“drink”). In the sense "not drunk," displaced native undrunken, from Old English undruncen.
- Not drunk; not intoxicated.
- Not under the influence of any recreational drug.
“Ten months sober, I must admit
Just because you're clean, don't mean you don't miss it”
- Not given to excessive drinking of alcohol.
“Amid all the confusion and disorder that sin has introduced into the world, the Christian in union with God has a grace or Divine help that enables him to live the sober, self-restrained life.”
“After eliminating alcohol from their lives, some sober individuals exclusively date nondrinkers.”
“Rose told me that she's sober.”
- figurativelyModerate; realistic; serious; not playful; not passionate; cool; self-controlled.
“God help me to watch and to be sober.”
“[N]o ſober man vvould put himſelf into a danger for the Applauſe of ſcaping vvithout breaking his Neck.”
“Which is the finest and soberest state possible.”
- Dull; not bright or colorful.
“Twilight grey / Had in her sober livery all things clad.”
- Subdued; solemn; grave.
“See her sober over a sampler, or gay over a jointed baby.”
“What parts gay France from sober Spain? A little rising rocky chain.”
- ScotlandPoor; feeble.
- often, with-upTo make or become sober.
“There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, / And drinking largely sobers us again.”
“The night air may have sobered him a bit by the time they got back to Beattock.”
- often, with-upTo overcome or lose a state of intoxication.
“It took him hours to sober up.”
- To moderate one's feelings; to accept a disappointing reality after losing one's ability to believe in a fantastic goal.
“Losing his job was a sobering experience.”
Formssoberer(comparative) · soberest(superlative) · sobers(present, singular, third-person) · sobering(participle, present) · sobered(participle, past) · sobered(past) · Sobers(plural)