Definition of "sober"

sober

/ˈsəʊ.bə(ɹ)/

adjective
comparative soberer, superlative soberest
1. Not drunk; not intoxicated.
2. Not under the influence of any recreational drug.
3. Not given to excessive drinking of alcohol.
  Quotations
  Amid all the confusion and disorder that sin has introduced into the world, the Christian in union with God has a grace or Divine help that enables him to live the sober, self-restrained life.
  1890, John Charles Cox, “The Sober Life”, in The Godly, Righteous, And Sober Life, page 35
  After eliminating alcohol from their lives, some sober individuals exclusively date nondrinkers.
  2020 December 29, Hilary Sheinbaum, “Finding Love Without Alcohol”, in The New York Times‎
  Rose told me that she's sober.
  , (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎
4. (figurative) Moderate; realistic; serious; not playful; not passionate; cool; self-controlled.
  Quotations
  God help me to watch and to be sober.
  1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […]; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas, […], 1928, page 31
  [N]o sober man would put himſelf into danger for the Applauſe of ſcaping without breaking his Neck.
  1681, John Dryden, “The Preface to Ovid’s Epistles”, in Ovid, Ovid’s Epistles, […], 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], page 21
  Which is the finest and soberest state possible.
  2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 230d
5. (of color) Dull; not bright or colorful.
  Quotations
  Twilight grey / Had in her sober livery all things clad.
  1667, John Milton, “(please specify the book number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,
6. Subdued; solemn; grave.
  Quotations
  See her sober over a sampler, or gay over a jointed baby.
  1717, Alexander Pope, Letter from Edward Blount, Esq.
  What parts gay France from sober Spain? A little rising rocky chain.
  1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Alma: Or, The Progress of the Mind”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […]
7. (Scotland) Poor; feeble.
verb
third-person singular simple present sobers, present participle sobering, simple past and past participle sobered
1. (often with up) To make or become sober.
  Quotations
  There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, / And drinking largely sobers us again.
  1711, Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism
  The night air may have sobered him a bit by the time they got back to Beattock.
  1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53
2. (often with up) To overcome or lose a state of intoxication.
3. To moderate one's feelings; to accept a disappointing reality after losing one's ability to believe in a fantastic goal.

Definition of "sober"

sober

adjective

Quotations

Quotations

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verb

Quotations