SOBERING Meaning of SOBERING in English so ‧ ber ‧ ing /ˈsəʊbərɪŋ $ ˈsoʊ-/ BrE AmE adjective making you feel very serious:It was a sobering thought.The news had a sobering effect. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman - Словарь современного английского языка. 2012