c.1300, "grave, serious, solemn," from O.Fr. sobre, from L. sobrius "not drunk, temperate," from se- "without" + ebrius "drunk," of unknown origin. Sense of "moderate, temperate," especially "abstaining from strong drink" is first attested 1338; meaning "not drunk at the moment" is from 1387. The verb meaning "to become sober" is attested from 1820 (usually with up). Sobersides "sedate, serious-minded person" is recorded from 1705.
not affected by a chemical substance (especially alcohol) [ant: drunk]
2.
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises; "a grave God-fearing man"; "a quiet sedate nature"; "as sober as a judge"; "a solemn promise"; "the judge was solemn as he pronounced sentence" [syn: grave]
3.
lacking brightness or color; dull; "drab faded curtains"; "sober Puritan grey"; "children in somber brown clothes" [syn: drab]
4.
completely lacking in playfulness [syn: unplayful] [ant: playful]
verb
1.
cause to become sober; "A sobering thought"
2.
become more realistic; "After thinking about the potential consequences of his plan, he sobered up" [syn: sober up]
3.
become sober after excessive alcohol consumption; "Keep him in bed until he sobers up" [syn: sober up]
Grave\, a. [Compar. Graver (gr[=a]v"[~e]r); superl. Gravest.] [F., fr. L. gravis heavy; cf. It. & Sp. grave heavy, grave. See Grief.]1. Of great weight; heavy; ponderous. [Obs.] His shield grave and great. --Chapman. 2. Of importance; momentous; weighty; influential; sedate; serious; -- said of character, relations, etc.; as, grave deportment, character, influence, etc. Most potent, grave, and reverend seigniors. --Shak. A grave and prudent law, full of moral equity. --Milton. 3. Not light or gay; solemn; sober; plain; as, a grave color; a grave face. 4. (Mus.) (a) Not acute or sharp; low; deep; -- said of sound; as, a grave note or key. The thicker the cord or string, the more grave is the note or tone. --Moore (Encyc. of Music). (b) Slow and solemn in movement. Grave accent. (Pron.) See the Note under Accent, n., 2. Syn: Solemn; sober; serious; sage; staid; demure; thoughtful; sedate; weighty; momentous; important. Usage: Grave, Sober, Serious, Solemn. Sober supposes the absence of all exhilaration of spirits, and is opposed to gay or flighty; as, sober thought. Serious implies considerateness or reflection, and is opposed to jocose or sportive; as, serious and important concerns. Grave denotes a state of mind, appearance, etc., which results from the pressure of weighty interests, and is opposed to hilarity of feeling or vivacity of manner; as, a qrave remark; qrave attire. Solemn is applied to a case in which gravity is carried to its highest point; as, a solemn admonition; a solemn promise.
Sober\, a. [Compar. Soberer; superl. Soberest.] [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.] To make sober. There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again. --Pope.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [soh-ber] Pronunciation Key adjective, -er, -est, verb 
