different between sober vs steady

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

Alternative forms

• steddy, stedy

Etymology

From Middle English stede, stedi, stidi?, from Old English stæþþi?, from stæþ (“stead, bank”); equivalent to stathe +? -y or stead +? -y. Cognate with West Frisian stadich (“slow”), Danish stedig, stadig, steeg, Swedish stadig, Icelandic stöðugur, Middle Dutch stedigh, German stätig, stetig.

Pronunciation

• enPR: st?d?i, IPA^(key): /?st?di/

Adjective

steady (comparative steadier, superlative steadiest)

1. Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm.

   • Their feet steady, their hands diligent, their eyes watchful, and their hearts resolute.

   • Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile?; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.

2. Constant in feeling, purpose, or pursuit; not fickle, changeable, or wavering; not easily moved or persuaded to alter a purpose; resolute.
   • 2003, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices: Inserts Only (page 10)

     During programmed changes, no steady green signal indication or flashing yellow signal indication shall be terminated and immediately followed by a steady red or flashing red signal indication without first displaying the steady yellow signal […]

3. Smooth and not bumpy or with obstructions.

4. Regular and even.

5. Slow.

Synonyms

• (firm): robust, solid, untottering
• (constant in purpose or action): dogged, staunch, unyielding; see also Thesaurus:obstinate
• (smooth, not bumpy): fluid
• (regular and even): constant, uniform, unvarying; see also Thesaurus:steady
• (slow): glacial, ponderous, stately; see also Thesaurus:slow

Antonyms

• (regular and even): unsteady; see also Thesaurus:unsteady

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

steady (third-person singular simple present steadies, present participle steadying, simple past and past participle steadied)

1. (transitive, sometimes figuratively) To stabilize; to prevent from shaking.

   I took a drink to steady my nerves.

2. (intransitive) To become stable.
   • 2010, Scott Westerfeld, Leviathan

     The ship steadied in the air. Another spray of ballast came, heavier than the last.

Translations

Noun

steady (plural steadies)

1. A rest or support, as for the hand, a tool, or a piece of work.
2. (informal) A regular boyfriend or girlfriend.
   • 2002, Frederick E. Von Burg, Keep My White Sneakers, Kit Carson, iUniverse (?ISBN), page 13:

     “Dalton is my steady, now. If I break up with him, you're the first on the list.” “Thanks,” said Ted. “What a privilege to be second choice.”

3. (informal) A prostitute's regular customer.

Adverb

steady (not comparable)

1. (rowing, informal) To row with pressure at a low stroke-rating, often 18 strokes per minute.

Further reading

• steady in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• steady in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• steady at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• stayed