Sober Not mad or insane; not wild, visionary, or heated with passion; exercising cool, dispassionate reason; self-controlled; self-possessed. "There was not a sober person to be had; all was tempestuous and blustering.", "No sober man would put himself into danger for the applause of escaping without breaking his neck.". The steps to get sober are very different from the steps to staying sober. Ultimately, it's the equivalent of asking someone if "they're sober" or "are they in recovery". Being sober can mean you've been sober for 6 hours or that the addiction has been substituted from alcohol to food. Being sober isn't easy, but it's a broad definition. Switch skin. Search. Search for: Search.