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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

sober en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsəʊ.bə(ɹ)/
  • sō'bə r
  • /ˈsoʊ.bɚ/ (General-American)
  • (US) audio

Etymology

Inherited 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.

Meanings

  1. Not drunk; not intoxicated.
  2. 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 2014 October 27, Taylor Swift, Imogen Heap, “Clean (Taylor's Version)”, in 1989 (Taylor's Version), performed by Taylor Swift, published 27 October 2023:
  3. Not given to excessive drinking of alcohol.
    • Rose told me that she's sober. (Can we date this quote?), (Please provide the book title or journal name):
    • 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. 1890, John Charles Cox, “The Sober Life”, in The Godly, Righteous, And Sober Life, page 35:
    • After eliminating alcohol from their lives, some sober individuals exclusively date nondrinkers. 2020 December 29, Hilary Sheinbaum, “Finding Love Without Alcohol”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 12 Feb 2021:
  4. (figuratively) Moderate; realistic; serious; not playful; not passionate; cool; self-controlled.
    • [N]o ſober man vvould put himſelf into a danger for the Applauſe of ſcaping vvithout breaking his Neck. 1680, John Dryden, “The Preface to Ovid’s Epistles”, in Ovid, Ovid’s Epistles, […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
    • God help me to watch and to be sober. 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, page 31:
    • Which is the finest and soberest state possible. 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 230d:
  5. (of color) Dull; not bright or colorful.
    • Twilight grey / Had in her sober livery all things clad. 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
  6. Subdued; solemn; grave.
    • See her sober over a sampler, or gay over a jointed baby. 1717, Alexander Pope, Letter from Edward Blount, Esq.:
    • What parts gay France from sober Spain? A little rising rocky chain. 1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Alma: Or, The Progress of the Mind”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC:
  7. (Scotland) Poor; feeble.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
soberer Degree=Cmp lexicographic
soberest Degree=Sup lexicographic

Antonyms

stinking · bottled · off one's head · wet · burlin' · sottish · cunted · lushed · insobrietous · soaken · budgy · disguised · throwed · arseholed · ebriose · withered · gassed · messed up · cocked · maggoted · soshed · blottoed · parlatic · pixilated · spannered · muzzy · out of one's box · plastered · besotted · shickered · sprung · plowed · shedded · kettled · muggy · scammered · lubed · frosted · canned · blocked · rubbered · gesuip · inter pocula · strut · shicker · sauced · sloshed · primed · gished · medicated · hooted · schnockered · drunk as a piper · inebrious · cup-shotten · groggy · nappy · overrefreshed · hosed · smashed · mullered · cockeyed · temulent · snuffy · how came you so · lathered · overcome · liquory · tippled · lash · in one's altitudes · beliquored · wazzocked · drunk · flush · fluted · quisby · in liquor · tanked up · loopy · top-heavy with drink · mortalled · wazzed · zorched · jarred · stinko · blitzed · Mozart and Liszt · worse for wear · blind drunk · high · polluted · spiffed · crapulous · fuckered up · spongy · out of sight · flustered · high as a Georgia pine · screwed · half polluted · schloshed · zonked · temulentive · befuddled · tanked · loose · bibulous · three sheets to the wind · obliviated · bollocksed · cut · elephant's trunk · looped · slarmied · bungalowed · squiffed · slammed · flooey · woozy · stoated · toasted · toping · snozzled · newted · bungfu · four sheets in the wind · souped-up · lubed up · tipsy · tilted · worse for liquor · larruped · fou · stotious · MWI · a sheet in the wind's eye · sozzly · bombed · shitty · skunked · stonkered · tuned · boozy · potted · fuzzy-minded · elephant's · fuddled · bladdered · ginned · blasted · dead drunk · Brahms and Liszt · ossified · in the bag · stewed · sotted · hammered · pounded · legless · a sheet in the wind · bibacious · inebriate · zoned · Adrian Quist · tight · steamboats · full · zotzed · hazed · scuttered · monged · insober · Oliver · fluthered · mad with it · juiced up · overtaken · high as a kite · muddled · wastey · out of it · corned · besotten · all mops and brooms · lamped · puggled · bosky · lit · drunken · hog-whimpering · ebriated · sozzled · fuckfaced · glorious · hooched up · pie-eyed · blewed · drunk · spanceled · potshot · binned · in the drink · fuzzy-headed · slizzard · oiled up · snockered · adrip · elevated · in one's cups · drunked up · impaired · jaked · out of one's head · shellacked · out of one's face · mortal · mashed · tight as a tick · half cut · mabok · fap · gattered · wobbly · faced · Oliver Twist · half lit · groggified · have drink taken · oiled · langered · langers · have the sun in one's eyes · trashed · twisted · blootered · lashed · sodden · tired and emotional · zooted · maudlin · stoned · swacked · feeling no pain · ploughed · three sheets in the wind · bevvied · kaylied · munted · bingoed · ripe · raddled · inebriated · maggot · kisky · aled up · wrecked · sloppy drunk · cup-shot · top-heavy · ripped · floored · nimptopsical · clobbered · on the ran tan · loaded · rolling · pickled · twatfaced · sewed up · flushed · hoovered · wellied · drunk · whittled · stoned · crocked · splashed · bedrunken · liquored up · off one's box · blue · well-oiled · fresh · fershnickered · Brahms · soused · destroyed · sauced up · ratfaced · gee-eyed · snookered · paralytic · half seas over · honkers · razzled · obfuscated · lubricated · off one's tits · blind · fried · juiced

Deriveds

soberversary · sobersided · California sober · sobersides · wanton kittens make sober cats · soberness · draw a sober breath · sober as a judge · sober space · insober · sober lite · sober house · ensober · soberer · sober-curious · soberly · unsober · sober up · stone-cold sober · drunk words are sober thoughts · sober down · sober living house · cold sober · appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober · soberize

Hypernyms

abstemious · self-abnegatory · temperate

Relateds

teetotaller · teetotaler

Synonyms

sweer · unpassionate · temperate · stone-cold sober · lackluster · mellow · sedate · undrunken · measured · weightsome · lack-laughter · temperate · sober · frightful · unsusceptible · unexcitable · sad · sober · sober as a judge · uncolorful · sedate · faint · dingy · clearheaded · unimpassioned · stern · sage · nonextreme · abstinent · sober · dull · unexcessive · austere · cool · reasonable · staid · somber · solemncholy · moderate · saturnine · on the wagon · dry · mild · abstemious · nonfanatic · muted · unperturbed · spareful · bland · demure · sad · staid · temperate · undisturbed · solemn · dispassionate · calm · thoughtful · sombre · abstemious · unholiday · imperturbable · unexcited · unstirred · grave · middle of the road · unextreme · temperate · subdued · regular · reasonous · wan · sober · steady · composed · muddy · grievous · tempered · weighty · continent · sober · inexcitable · unintoxicated · leaden · serious · dim · abstentious · nonexcessive · earnest · unruffled · abstemious · sober · proper · colourless · collected

Translations (145)

it sobrio (not drunk) · tr mutedil (dull) · el μετρημένος (moderate) · mk трезен (not drunk) · ru тверёзый (not drunk) · fr sobre (moderate) · gd stuama (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · ja シラフ (not drunk) · szl trzyźwy (not drunk) · ang undruncen (not drunk) · be цвяро́зы (not drunk) · nl nuchter (not drunk) · myv тетява (not drunk) · fr sobre (dull) · tt аек (not drunk) · fi selvin päin (not drunk) · izh siitiä (not drunk) · he פִּכֵּחַ (not drunk) · hu mértékletes (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · bg тре́звен (not drunk) · fi hillitty (moderate) · ba айыҡ (moderate) · nrf sobre (dull) · fr sobre (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · da ædru (not drunk) · sh трезвен (not drunk) · grc νηφάλιος (not drunk) · sh trezan (not drunk) · fi selvä (not drunk) · cs tupý (dull) · tr hüşyar (dull) · mi nguengue (subdued; solemn; grave) · pdt ieeboa (subdued; solemn; grave) · pdt nichta (not drunk) · sh trezven (not drunk) · ba айныҡ (not drunk) · it sobrio (moderate) · fi vakavamielinen (subdued; solemn; grave) · fi raitis (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · gd stuama (moderate) · xqa اَذِغْ (not drunk) · hu megfontolt (moderate) · sh трезан (not drunk) · orv терезвъ (not drunk) · cy sobr (not drunk) · el εγκρατής (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · la abstēmius (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · nrf sobre (moderate) · sk triezvy (not drunk) · de gedeckt (dull) · fi vakava (subdued; solemn; grave) · tr ayık (not drunk) · hu józan (moderate) · az ayıq (not drunk) · ru нея́ркий (dull) · sh тријезан (not drunk) · fr sobre (not drunk) · hu komoly (subdued; solemn; grave) · cy sobr (subdued; solemn; grave) · yi ניכטער (not drunk) · pt sóbrio (moderate) · de nüchtern (moderate) · ru уме́ренный (moderate) · de nüchtern (not drunk) · th ไม่เมา (not drunk) · zlw-opl trzeźwy (not drunk) · ar صَاحٍ (not drunk) · eo sobra (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · nrf sobre (not drunk) · pt sóbrio (not drunk) · pt sóbrio (dull) · th สร่างเมา (not drunk) · zlw-opl trzeźwi (not drunk) · sl trezen (not drunk) · da sober (moderate) · ca sobri (not drunk) · ba айыҡ (not drunk) · es sereno (not drunk) · ca sobri (dull) · et karske (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · ja 真面目 (moderate) · tr uyanık dikkatli (dull) · ca sobri (moderate) · eo sobra (moderate) · cy sobr (moderate) · ca sobri (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · ru терёзвый (not drunk) · cs střízvý (not drunk) · de besonnen (moderate) · cy sobr (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · cu трѣзвъ (not drunk) · hu tompa (dull) · cs střízlivý (not drunk) · ka ფხიზელი (not drunk) · hy սթափ (not drunk) · eo sobra (not drunk) · dsb nuchtarny (not drunk) · sh trijezan (not drunk) · bg умерен (moderate) · it sobrio (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · es apagado (dull) · hu matt (dull) · ga neamh-mheisciúil (not drunk) · lb eniichter (not drunk) · nrf sobre (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · hu fakó (dull) · et kaine (not drunk) · ru ту́склый (dull) · pl trzeźwy (not drunk) · nn edru (not drunk) · uk твере́зий (not drunk) · sv nykter (not drunk) · ru тре́звый (not drunk) · hu higgadt (moderate) · gd sòbair (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · gd sòbair (not drunk) · orv тверезъ (not drunk) · da ædruelig (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · csb trzézwi (not drunk) · cmn 冷靜 /冷静 (not drunk) · nl nuchter (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · hu józan (not drunk) · fi hillitty (dull) · la sobrius (not drunk) · ga neamh-mheisciúil (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · es sobrio (moderate) · mi kāore i haurangi (not drunk) · ba айныҡ (moderate) · el νηφάλιος (not drunk) · cmn 清醒 (not drunk) · ro treaz (not drunk) · el νηφάλιος (moderate) · es sobrio (subdued; solemn; grave) · pt sóbrio (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · ang gedrēoh (moderate) · cs hloupý (dull) · ang sȳfre (moderate) · de ernst (moderate) · cy sobr (dull) · mk трезвен (not drunk) · cs střízlivý (moderate) · bg въздържан (not given to excessive drinking of alcohol) · gd stuama (not drunk) · es sobrio (not drunk) · nb edru (not drunk)

sober en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsəʊ.bə(ɹ)/
  • sō'bə r
  • /ˈsoʊ.bɚ/ (General-American)
  • (US) audio

Etymology

Inherited 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.

Meanings

  1. (often, with-up) To make or become sober.
    • There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, / And drinking largely sobers us again. 1711, Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism:
    • His expression sobered.
    • The night air may have sobered him a bit by the time they got back to Beattock. 1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53:
  2. (often, with-up) To overcome or lose a state of intoxication.
    • It took him hours to sober up.
  3. 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.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
sobered Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
sobered Tense=Past lexicographic
sobering Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
sobers Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

unsobered

Translations (18)

sv nyktra till (overcome intoxication) · fi selvittää (make or become sober) · de ernüchtern (make or become sober) · hu kijózanít (make or become sober) · cs vystřízlivět (make or become sober) · bg изтрезнявам (make or become sober) · cs vystřízlivět (overcome intoxication) · ja 酔いを醒ます (make or become sober) · sv nyktra till (make or become sober) · sv nyktra (overcome intoxication) · eo sobrigi (make or become sober) · sv nyktra (make or become sober) · cmn 醒酒 (make or become sober) · fr cuver (overcome intoxication) · hu kijózanodik (overcome intoxication) · de ausnüchtern (overcome intoxication) · eo sobriĝi (overcome intoxication) · fi selvitä (overcome intoxication)