Skip to main content
sobriquet

sobriquet

2 9.5
A nickname people use that often describes how a person is
  • noun
  • /ˈsoʊbrɪkeɪ/
translation icon : sobrenombre
  • Trout couldn't wait to tell Gamay her new sobriquet.
  • earn the sobriquet

And the sobriquet Abu Nawaz, it's like the father of some aspect of your personality.

Examples

  • He was Lewis Thomas Harden, late of Marysville, KS, but he preferred to be known by the sobriquet Mundo.

  • When we discovered that his name was Sharkey, we dubbed him "Jaws," and the sobriquet stuck and was perfect, since his style of teaching by intimidation kept us all on our toes.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • We earned the sobriquet of "Cardiac Cats" not by losing games in the fourth, but by winning them.

    Blog text (32)
  • The strong will that had prompted his opponents to give him the sobriquet King Andrew was very much in evidence.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • I wonder what the origin of the sobriquet "gravy train" is.

  • It's an unfortunate sobriquet, but I will not let it dissuade me from my purpose.

  • Tetouan's Jewish population, one of the largest and most vibrant in North Africa, earned Tetouan the sobriquet Little Jerusalem among Sephardic Jews.

    Academic text (2009)
  • "HISTORY + FICTION" has been a viable formula since The Histories of Herodotus, circa 440 B.C., with which work the author earned himself not only the sobriquet "Father of History" but "The Father of Lies."

    Academic text (2008)
  • The explorer was often called by his sobriquet, 'the Falcon', reflecting his keen eyesight.

  • Known for her singing talent, she earned the sobriquet 'songbird' from her fans.

Synonyms

nickname
vssobriquet
  • Informal
262 1.1

An informal name for a person, place, or thing that shows something about it

is similar but also used specifically as a substitute for the real name
moniker
vssobriquet
  • Informal
27 7.4

A name or nickname people use for someone

is specifically used to highlight traits or act as an alternate identity
pet name
vssobriquet
  • Informal
11 2.1

A special short name people use for someone they care about

is more general and often describes traits rather than expressing affection
soubriquet
vssobriquet
  • UK
1 9.9

A friendly name used instead of a person's real name

is a descriptive or alternative name often used for traits or identity
byname
vssobriquet
  • Archaic
8.6

A familiar name used instead of someone's real name

is more focused on describing a trait than merely replacing the real name
cognomen
vssobriquet
9.9

A familiar name people use for someone, often a short friendly form of their given name

is broader, often describing characteristics rather than only shortening a name

How Descriptive

sobriquet
2 9.5
epithet
4 7.9
nickname
  • Informal
262 1.1
label
187 1.0

Surface Forms

sobriquet singular
sobriquets plural

Etymology

Sobriquet comes from an old French word soubriquet, which meant a 'small' or 'playful' name used instead of someone's full name. So a sobriquet today is a nickname that often describes a person's trait or how people think of them.