different between sober vs sobering

English

Etymology

From Old French sobre, from Latin s?brius, from se- (“without”) + ebrius (“intoxicated”), from Proto-Indo-European *h?eg??- (“drink”). In the sense "not drunk," displaced native undrunken, from Old English undruncen.

Pronunciation

• enPR: s?'b?(r), IPA^(key): /?s??.b?(?)/
• Rhymes: -??b?(r)
• Homophone: soba (in non-rhotic accents)

Adjective

sober (comparative soberer, superlative soberest)

1. Not drunk; not intoxicated.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:sober

   Antonyms: drunk; see also Thesaurus:drunk

2. Not given to excessive drinking of alcohol.

   Synonym: abstemious
3. (figuratively) Moderate; realistic; serious; not playful; not passionate; cool; self-controlled.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:moderate, Thesaurus:serious

   • 1680, John Dryden, Ovid's Epistles

     No sober man would put himself into danger for the applause of escaping without breaking his neck.

   • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 230d.

     Which is the finest and soberest state possible.

4. (of color) Dull; not bright or colorful.

   Synonyms: muted, subdued
5. Subdued; solemn; grave.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:serious

   • 1717, Alexander Pope, Letter from Edward Blount, Esq.

     See her sober over a sampler, or gay over a jointed baby.
6. (Scotland) Poor; feeble.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• teetotaller

Verb

sober (third-person singular simple present sobers, present participle sobering, simple past and past participle sobered)

1. (often with up) To make or become sober.
2. (often with up) To overcome or lose a state of intoxication.

3. To moderate one's feelings.

Translations

Anagrams

• Beros, Boers, Boser, Brose, Serbo-, bores, brose, robes

Danish

Etymology

From French sobre, from Latin sobrius.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -o?b?r

Adjective

sober

1. sober (in character; moderate; realistic; serious)

Inflection

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch sober, from Old French sobre, from Latin s?brius. Doublet of zuiver.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -o?b?r

Adjective

sober (comparative soberder, superlative soberst)

1. simple, plain, austere

Inflection

Synonyms

• eenvoudig

Antonyms

• overdadig

Swedish

Etymology

From French sobre.

Adjective

sober (comparative sobrare, superlative sobrast)

1. moderate
2. stylish, discreetly tasteful

Inflection

References

• sober in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• sober in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• sober in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

English

Adjective

sobering

1. Causing more sober thought or concern.

   It was a sobering thought that I had almost killed myself. That was something I wouldn't soon do on purpose again.

Verb

sobering

1. present participle of sober

Anagrams

• Giberson, Gisborne