dessoûler

to sober up

verb deh-soo-LEH Rare

Usage Note

Dessoûler (also spelled dessaouler) is the intransitive or transitive verb meaning to become sober again after being drunk. The prefix des- reverses the state of soûl (drunk). The process can take time: il faut attendre qu'il dessoûle — 'you have to wait for him to sober up'. Register is informal.

Examples

"Il a mis des heures à dessoûler après la fête."

Natural Translation

It took him hours to sober up after the party.

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