sober
Translation
sober, not drunk, serious, plain
Examples
He was completely sober when he drove home.
He was completely sober when he drove home.
The news brought a sober mood to the party.
The news brought a sober mood to the party.
She wore a sober gray suit to the interview.
She wore a sober gray suit to the interview.
Grammar Patterns
((be)) sober not affected by alcohol He was completely sober when he drove home.
((a)) sober ((noun)) serious and sensible The news brought a sober mood to the party.
((a)) sober ((color/clothing)) plain and not brightly colored She wore a sober gray suit to the interview.
Similar Words
Synonyms: clear-headed, serious, plain; Antonyms: drunk, intoxicated, frivolous
Etymology
From Latin 'sobrius', from 'se-' (without) + 'ebrius' (drunk).
Memory Tips
'So-ber' sounds like 'no beer', which helps remember the meaning 'not drunk'.