sober
part of speech
adjective (sober, soberer, soberest); verb (sober up)
meaning for a pupil
1) Sober means not drunk, not affected by alcohol. tree →
2) Sober means serious, calm and sensible: a sober mood. tree →
3) Sober colours or clothes are plain and dull, not bright. tree →
4) To sober up is to stop being drunk; to sober (someone) is to make them serious. tree →
5) Sober also describes someone who has stopped drinking alcohol for good. tree →
sense in the lessons
Safety and health: drivers must be sober; drinking alcohol and driving is dangerous and against the law. Everyday life: «stone-cold sober». In stories and news, «a sober reminder» is something that makes people think seriously. Phrases: «sober up», «sobering thought».
examples
- The bus driver must be sober. tree →
- After the accident, the town was in a sober mood. tree →
- He wore a sober grey suit to the funeral. tree →
- Uncle Pete has been sober for five years. tree →
- That was a sobering thought. tree →
- The news sobered everyone up quickly. tree →
- She gave a sober account of what happened. tree →
- Lastly came the youngest brother, Henry, with quiet steps and a sober, thought-ful look. tree →
note
Opposite of «drunk». Noun: sobriety. «Sobering» means making you feel serious. Do not confuse with «sombre» (sad and dark).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «sober» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.