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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

Examples of sober in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web One venture from the research, a local sober bar, is already open to the public, Choudhury said. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024 With that conflict continuing to loom large in the region, alongside an escalating situation in Lebanon, the mood was relatively sober at the festival which has a reputation for parties and glitzy red carpets. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024 Ask the people in recovery who get sober and find their life’s mission in serving fellow addicts. Longreads, 18 Oct. 2024 John Stamos on being Uncle Jesse, a Beach Boy and sober: See him in Mesa Sammy Hagar's one-of-a-kind Ferrari sells for this record price in Arizona 10 coffee chains named best in the US. Roger Naylor and Scott Craven, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sober 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sober
Adjective
  • Then the skit begins to outline the story of Domingo, Marcello Hernandez’s charming home wrecker who shows up to set to record straight direct from Domingo.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024
  • Lloyd Webber stresses that the musical is not going to be a straight rehash of the film.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Against this was Newton’s vision—ridiculously occult, to the logical French mind—of action at a distance, with the sun moving the Earth by a mysterious pull that spread across space, the Earth then moving the moon, and the moon then moving the tides.
    Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
  • Take: Identity theft is a logical target of hackers using AI tools.
    Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Their presence is solemn and, at the same time, festive, an echo of past times that rings with each step.
    Arath Zumaya Muñoz, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2024
  • But the parents recognize their son has had a more solemn tangible legacy too — by helping strangers with his organ donations.
    Brian Brant, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • However, in recent years, hotels like The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas have been elevating the city with quiet opulence—sophisticated luxury with some of the most expensive rooms in the city.
    Kaila Yu, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
  • In the film, Glenn stars as Gene Lee Grady, a lonely military man mourning his late wife and living a quiet existence in his tidy house.
    William Earl, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Adams, running for office, made gestures at his own ascetic habits, passing himself off as a vegan.
    Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Though Johnson’s ascetic yet exorbitant lifestyle falls on the extreme end of the spectrum, methodically tracking personal biometrics — from daily nutritional macros to the quality of sleep — has gone mainstream through tech wearables from brands like Apple, Oura and Fitbit.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Things should be cool and dry for remaining Halloween festivities on Friday and Saturday before a system moving across the Plains into the Upper Great Lakes region brings the rain and warmer temperatures, Wagner said.
    Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Mind-blowing hint: Those hot, dry, dusty winds start with cold dense air in the high desert of southern Nevada.
    Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • First, how does one access exposure to gold, and second, how much is a reasonable allocation.
    Vineer Bhansali, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
  • Hur said the evidence did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Biden had violated the law.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Multi-talented artist Solange Knowles, 38, is typically private about her personal life, but the singer recently opened up about serious health issues she’s been battling since 2018.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 26 Oct. 2024
  • People power has proved a serious problem for GD in recent years.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near sober

Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sober. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sober

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