진지한. sober . 14세기

진지한. sober

 

sober

1

a

: not intoxicated

He's a half-decent guy when he's sober, but when he's drunk, he's just not accountable for what he does, and he spends a lot of time drunk.

—Stephen King

b

: abstaining from drinking alcohol or taking intoxicating drugs : refraining from the use of addictive substances (see substance sense 3c)

Blossom learns that life isn't always rosy, especially for recovering substance abusers, when she discovers her brother Anthony—clean and sober for two years—wilting when he's tempted by a liquor bottle.

—TV Guide

c

: sparing in the use of food and drink : abstemious

He was a large, saturnine man, … comparatively sober in his habits, as people must be who make money out of other people's vices.

—Dorothy L. Sayers

2

: marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor

3

: unhurried, calm

4

: marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness

a sober candlelight vigil

5

: subdued in tone or color

6

: showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice

soberly

ˈsō-bər-lē

 adverb

soberness noun

sober

 

2 of 2

verb

sobered; sobering ˈsō-b(ə-)riŋ

transitive verb

 

: to make sober

intransitive verb

 

: to become sober —usually used with up

 

 

 

Synonyms

Adjective

 

clearheaded

straight

 

Choose the Right Synonym for sober

 

 

serious,

grave,

solemn,

sedate,

staid,

sober,

 

 

 

earnest mean not light or frivolous.

 

serious implies a concern for what really matters.

 

a serious play about social injustice

 

grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

 

read the proclamation in a grave voice

 

solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

 

a sad and solemn occasion

 

sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

 

remained sedate amid the commotion

 

 

staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

 

a quiet and staid community

 

sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

 

a sober look at the state of our schools

 

earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

 

 

 

an earnest reformer

 

Examples of sober in a Sentence

 

Adjective

 

I'm driving, so I have to stay sober tonight.

He is a sober, hardworking farmer.

The story is a sober look at drug abuse.

 

 

Recent Examples on the Web

 

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

 

Adjective

 

Others, like mocktails and nonalcoholic beers, allow sober people to discreetly opt out of drinking culture without inviting unwanted attention.

—Caroline Tien, SELF, 10 June 2025

There is no replacement for sober feedback in business.

—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

Verb

The sociologist Max Weber's classic analysis of Germany's limited democratic prospects at the end of the empire, which Steinberg appropriately highlights and appreciates, should be sobering reading for fans of competitive authoritarians in the developing world today.

—Michael Bernhard, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2011

There are sobering downsides to using AGI that need to be weighed against the benefits.

—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

 

Word History

 

Etymology

 

Adjective

 

Middle English sobre, from Anglo-French, from Latin sobrius; akin to Latin ebrius drunk

 

First Known Use

Adjective

 

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

 

Verb

 

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

 

Time Traveler

 

 

The first known use of sober was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century