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.

But beneath the enthusiasm lies a far more sobering reality.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

The British electorate’s message to the world is sobering.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

"The implications are really sobering as this new finding essentially places these animals in 'double jeopardy," said Dr. Payne.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

To underscore the point, Schiff cited some sobering data: Last year, 45% of all U.S. films and scripted television shows were shot internationally, up from about 33% in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Information is so powerful that the assumption of information, even if the information does not actually exist, can have a sobering effect.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Vocabulary lists containing sobering

Song of Solomon

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

You Call This Democracy?

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

I Must Betray You

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!