Making you serious and thoughtful; causing you to realize something is more serious than you thought.
From 'sober' (Latin 'sobrius,' meaning not drunk, serious, and grave). Originally physical (not intoxicated), evolved to mean emotionally serious.
The word 'sober' started as literally 'not drunk,' but it shifted to mean 'serious and clear-thinking'—so a sobering realization is one that makes you sharp and sober-minded about reality.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.