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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sober different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sober are earnest, grave, sedate, serious, solemn, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When might earnest be a better fit than sober?

The synonyms earnest and sober are sometimes interchangeable, but earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When can grave be used instead of sober?

The meanings of grave and sober largely overlap; however, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When could sedate be used to replace sober?

The words sedate and sober can be used in similar contexts, but sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

When would serious be a good substitute for sober?

In some situations, the words serious and sober are roughly equivalent. However, serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

Where would solemn be a reasonable alternative to sober?

While the synonyms solemn and sober are close in meaning, solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

In what contexts can staid take the place of sober?

Although the words staid and sober have much in common, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sober Rick's movie plan with fake director Frank worked Rick has enlisted his newly sober former partner in crime Frank (Sam Rockwell) into the revenge plot. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025 Honesty is one of the cornerstones of the 12-step approach to getting and staying sober. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2025 And then there is another element, sales are down for wine, perhaps because of the new sober curious movement, or perhaps because a new generation of possible drinkers just have not soaked in just all the layers of wine. Valentina Di Donato, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Both got sober for the first time as teenagers, relapsed in their early 20s and got sober again in their mid-20s. Shivani Vora, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sober
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sober
Adjective
  • Rookie watch Tristan da Silva was a healthy scratch for the third straight contest as the No. 18 pick has seemingly fallen out of Orlando’s two-deep rotation.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2025
  • In the bond market, longer-term Treasury yields rose for a second straight day to recover more of their sharp losses from prior months.
    Time, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • There are logical, though debatable, arguments that the settlement paying male athletes more in damages and permitting colleges to pay male athletes more going forward is problematic under Title IX.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • When fans are incorrectly being told how much worse the game is today versus the 1990s and 2000s … that doesn’t seem to be a logical way of boosting viewership.
    Shane Young, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The noble profile of a solemn, aging Great Dane named Apollo dominates Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s The Friend, a movie nominally about the difficulties of caring for a pet in New York City.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Then, with his hopes of starting the season in the major leagues officially dashed, Hinch and his family began the solemn drive from Philly to the team’s Triple-A site in Scranton, Pa.
    Cody Stavenhagen, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • On the final whistle, there was deep quiet inside the Metropolitano.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The Pentagon has not held a press briefing in weeks, and the Defense Department has been quiet about the ongoing strikes.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This is especially clear in the contrast between Marcus Luria and his father, the ascetic sage Zalia Ziskind.
    Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
  • While Mathu is an ascetic loner, Malby was a hedonistic womanizer.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In the Gaslamp, Rustic Root is offering Maryland crab cake Benedict, a 28-day dry aged ribeye and chocolate bread pudding from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
    Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Combine Wet and Dry Stop the mixer and add half of the dry ingredients to the wet, and beat on low speed until most of the flour is incorporated.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • That would give it around 240 miles of range in the real world, which is reasonable.
    James Morris, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The plaintiffs’ argument broadens the scope of EPCA beyond reasonable bounds, District Judge Ronnie Abrams wrote in the court’s opinion.
    Akielly Hu, Wired News, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • No one is more than a degree or two of separation from someone with a serious health condition.
    Primary care physicians, Hartford Courant, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The 16-year-old passenger and the driver of the Subaru were taken to a hospital and last listed in serious condition, KTUL reported.
    Jennifer Rodriguez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sober. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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