SOBERING

sobering

(adjective) tending to make sober or more serious; “the news had a sobering effect”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Adjective

sobering

Causing more sober thought or concern.

Verb

sobering

present participle of sober

Anagrams

• Giberson, Gisborne

Source: Wiktionary


SOBER

Sober, a. [Compar. Soberer; superl. Soberest.] Etym: [OE. sobre, F. sobre, from L. sobrius, probably from a prefix so- expressing separation + ebrius drunken. Cf. Ebriety.]

1. Temperate in the use of spirituous liquors; habitually temperate; as, a sober man. That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Thy holy name. Bk. of Com. Prayer.

2. Not intoxicated or excited by spirituous liquors; as, the sot may at times be sober.

3. Not mad or insane; not wild, visionary, or heated with passion; exercising cool, dispassionate reason; self-controlled; self- possessed. There was not a sober person to be had; all was tempestuous and blustering. Druden. No sober man would put himself into danger for the applause of escaping without breaking his neck. Dryden.

4. Not proceeding from, or attended with, passion; calm; as, sober judgment; a man in his sober senses.

5. Serious or subdued in demeanor, habit, appearance, or color; solemn; grave; sedate. What parts gay France from sober Spain Prior. See her sober over a sampler, or gay over a jointed baby. Pope. Twilight gray Had in her sober livery all things clad. Milton.

Syn.

– Grave; temperate; abstinent; abstemious; moderate; regular; steady; calm; quiet; cool; collected; dispassionate; unimpassioned; sedate; staid; serious; solemn; somber. See Grave.

So"ber, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sobered; p. pr. & vb. n. Sobering.]

Definition: To make sober. There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again. Pope.

So"ber, v. i.

Definition: To become sober; -- often with down. Vance gradually sobered down. Ld. Lytton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

14 May 2025

TERNARY

(adjective) having three units or components or elements; “a ternary operation”; “a treble row of red beads”; “overcrowding made triple sessions necessary”; “triple time has three beats per measure”; “triplex windows”


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Coffee Trivia

There are four varieties of commercially viable coffee: Arabica, Liberica, Excelsa, and Robusta. Growers predominantly plant the Arabica species. Although less popular, Robusta tastes slightly more bitter and contains more caffeine.

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