3 meanings
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1 —as in:
Talk to me when your sober.
Definition
not under the influence of alcohol- She was still sober enough to know the situation was dangerous.
sober = not under the influence of alcohol
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- I'm worried about her. I seldom see her sober and without a hangover.
- I don't want to be with anyone who can't have fun when they're sober.
- Her expression was sober.
- I have been sober for almost two years.
- and how long will yuh stay sober now?Eugene O'Neill -- The Iceman Cometh
- He's the best naturedest old fool in Arkansaw—never hurt nobody, drunk nor sober.Mark Twain -- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Once we saw a man, who seemed not quite sober, passing along a street in front of us.Bram Stoker -- Dracula
- Also, he'd rarely been sober since we had arrived in Welch, and I was afraid that if I told him, he'd show up at school snookered and make things even worse.Jeannette Walls -- The Glass Castle
- He was employed in a vague personal capacity — while he remained with Cody he was in turn steward, mate, skipper, secretary, and even jailor, for Dan Cody sober knew what lavish doings Dan Cody drunk might soon be about, and he provided for such contingencies by reposing more and more trust in Gatsby.F. Scott Fitzgerald -- The Great Gatsby
sober = not under the influence of alcohol
sober = not under the influence of alcohol
sober = not drunk
sober = unintoxicated (not under the influence of alcohol)
sober = not under the influence of alcohol
sober = not under the influence of alcohol
2 —as in:
a sobering thought
Definition
serious; or making one serious or calm- It's sobering to think that more Americans die from opioid abuse than in car accidents.
sobering = makes one serious about an issue
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- She stopped laughing and said in a sober tone, ...
- These are sobering statistics that should leave all of us concerned.
- When he turned round to me, his face was sober.Robert Newton Peck -- A Day No Pigs Would Die
- ...and then she was laughing with Hannah. But instantly she sobered again.Elizabeth George Speare -- The Witch of Blackbird Pond
- "Save them and they'll kill you," he said soberly.D.J. Machale -- The Merchant of Death
- Her associates said little but looked sober and occasionally made important-looking notations on the yellow legal pads that lawyers never seemed to tire of.J.D. Robb -- Glory in Death
- Mr. Murry looked at her soberly.Madeleine L'Engle -- A Wrinkle in Time
- Gavril asked in a slightly more sober tone.Kiera Cass -- The Selection
- Philip Lombard's face changed—sobered.Agatha Christie -- And Then There Were None
sober = serious
sobering = making one serious about an issue
sober = serious
sobered = became serious
soberly = seriously
sober = serious
soberly = in a serious manner
sober = serious
sobered = became serious
3 —as in:
I need to sober up.
Definition
to become less drunk- Coffee doesn't really help one to sober up; though it does help fight sleepiness.
sober up = become less drunk
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- Talk to me after you're sober.
- After we sobered up a bit with coffee and Mini Thins, Patrick drove me home.Stephen Chbosky -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- I needed to sober up a little, so I walked.J.D. Robb -- Immortal in Death
- In the daytime, he kept sober, but in the evenings, as the prospect of sleep and nightmares loomed, he was overcome by the need.Laura Hillenbrand -- Unbroken
- It was the general opinion of Maycomb, however, that Mrs. Merriweather had sobered him up and made a reasonably useful citizen of him.Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- I will tell him he only has permission when he's sober.Madeline Miller -- Circe
- "A little learning is a dangerous thing. Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring; There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again."Ray Bradbury -- Fahrenheit 451
- "That she'd take a kid out to sea and let it drown—you wouldn't think a woman could do a thing like that?"
I said to him: "Are you sure she did do it?"
He said and in saying it he seemed suddenly to sober up: "I'm quite sure."Agatha Christie -- And Then There Were None - But secretly I'm wondering if Haymitch sobered up long enough to help Peeta and me because he thought we just might have the wits to survive.Suzanne Collins -- The Hunger Games
sober = not drunk
sobered up = became less drunk
sober up = become less drunk
sober = not drunk
sobered = became less drunk (or got completely past drunkenness)
sober = not drunk
sobers = makes less drunk
sober up = become less drunk
sobered up = stopped being drunk
Less commonly:
More rarely, sober can refer to one who is rational rather than under the influence of extreme emotion. Also more rarely, it can reference that which is practical rather than fanciful — such as "a more sober plan."
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