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Showing results for sobering. Search instead for soberin.
Definitions

sobering

[soh-ber-ing] / ˈsoʊ bər ɪŋ /
ADJECTIVE
serious
Synonyms
STRONGEST
dangerous deep difficult far-reaching grievous important major meaningful severe significant tough urgent
WEAK
arduous fateful fell formidable grave grim hard heavy laborious meaning business menacing momentous no joke no laughing matter of consequence operose out for blood playing hard ball pressing smoking strenuous strictly business threatening ugly unamusing unhumorous worrying
Antonyms
STRONGEST
calm easy facile friendly insignificant little meaningless minor small trivial unimportant worthless
WEAK
flippant funny happy light unserious

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The numbers get more sobering as one reads on.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Arsenal remain in a superb position in the Premier League and have the Champions League and FA Cup in their sights, but this was a sobering and disappointing day for the Gunners.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

I’m sadly reminded of colleagues who never recovered, a sobering thought as we stare down the barrel of yet another employment crisis.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

The statistics are sobering; if you're carrying a transceiver there is a 70% chance you'll survive an avalanche, according to emergency crews.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

The mother waited for her to control herself and gave the father a sobering stare.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.