to sober

Examples

• All

• When you sober up, I may unlock the door.

  In the Woods (1999)

• A long stroll would surely be enough to sober him; it would be a head-clearing, emotional cup of coffee.

  Fiction book (1995)

• Yeah, I think so that would sober me up real quick.

• The walk will sober you up.

  The Life of Chuck (2025)

• The stage manager says the feature was drunk and they were walking her around the block, trying to sober her up.

  Behind the Burly Q (2010)

• Falling into the lake will sober him up, my father said.

  Fiction book (1996)

• You seem to have sobered up.

  Copshop (2021)

• But after he sobered up, he never took another drink.

  Fascination (2004)

• My anger seemed to sober me up almost as quickly as the bourbon worked on me.

  Fiction book (1995)

• After a few hours of relaxing, the fresh air helped to sober him up and clear his mind.

Synonyms

S

to sober up

vsto sober

33 4.6

To stop being drunk and feel normal again

also means to make someone more serious and more realistic

Antonyms

F

to fantasize

• US

126 4.5

To imagine things that are not real because you want them

I

to intoxicate

• NSFW

9 7.0

To make someone drunk with alcohol or drugs

Idioms

S

stone cold sober

• Informal

3 5.6

Not affected by alcohol or drugs at all

Phrasal Verbs

S

to sober up

33 4.6

To stop being drunk and feel normal again

S

to sober up

2 5.3

To start thinking and acting more sensibly after being careless

Compounds

C

cold sober

• Informal

4 6.2

Completely free of alcohol or drugs

S

stone-sober

• Informal

1 6.9

Shows no signs of being drunk

S

sober discussion

1 4.2

A calm, serious talk where people think carefully and avoid strong feelings

S

sober look

1 5.1

A serious face that shows little or no emotion

How Sober

to sober

50 4.1

to sober up

33 4.6

to come to one's senses

• Informal

46 4.4

Surface Forms

Etymology