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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
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • This cannot be explained only by logical arguments or dry legal language.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • To the objective eye, the return of David Moyes as Everton manager was not a logical move.
    Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In a solemn message, Dominican President Luis Abinader addressed the nation’s grief.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • In Ireland, however, St. Patrick’s Day remained a solemn day of observance with little revelry.
    Bryan McGovern, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Today By Paulina Berges Nestled within Okazaki on a quiet residential road, Shinsho-an feels more like a private home than a hotel.
    Christina Liao, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
  • And in a culture that often asks women to go faster, do more, and present themselves perfectly, the act of cooking something small and lovely—just because—is its own quiet form of resistance.
    Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 15 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
  • Warmer temperatures in Kansas City’s forecast After the rain, the Kansas City area will enter a quiet, dry period as temperatures warm into the weekend.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Gentle moisturizers: Your skin might feel dry, tight, and flaky, especially when the rash starts to scab.
    Alisa Hrustic, SELF, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Netanyahu was told to be reasonable on Turkey Since the fall of the Assad dynasty in Syria late last year, Israel and Turkey have been competing in the country over their separate interests there.
    Time, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Ars wrote more about why this is a reasonable path forward last September.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Could this cause some serious anxiety, or even an existential crisis?
    Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The Mets’ prospects with experience in center field need more time in the minors before they can be considered serious options.
    Will Sammon, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sober.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sober. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sober

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