sedate

1 of 2

adjective

se·​date si-ˈdāt 

: keeping a quiet steady attitude or pace : unruffled

sedately adverb

sedateness noun

sedate

2 of 2

verb

sedated; sedating

transitive verb

: to dose with sedatives

Synonyms

Adjective

• earnest
• grave
• humorless
• no-nonsense
• po-faced [British]
• serious
• severe
• sober
• sobersided
• solemn
• staid
• uncomic
• unsmiling
• weighty

Choose the Right Synonym for sedate

serious, grave, solemn, sedate, staid, sober, earnest mean not light or frivolous.

serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

Examples of sedate in a Sentence

Adjective

We walked the beach at a sedate pace.

He remained sedate under pressure.

Verb

The doctor sedated the patient heavily.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Last week, Japan announced a surprise snap election in which popular discontent with the governing LDP party following a widespread corruption scandal, twinned with a cost-of-living crisis, led to a dramatic result in the usually sedate Japanese political landscape. —Steven Desmyter, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Her jewelry shifts from sedate heirlooms to big, bold costume pieces. —Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024

Verb

The MacBook and Mac mini have traditionally avoided the iPhone's rainbow of color options, usually sticking to sedate bare metal and gray or silver finishes. —Brian Westover, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024

Her research entailed working with rhinos that had been sedated and fitted with radio collars, a process so stressful that some females slowed their reproduction or miscarried; meanwhile, local trackers mocked her fancy receivers. —Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin sedatus, from past participle of sedare to calm; akin to sedēre to sit — more at sit

Verb

back-formation from sedative

First Known Use

Adjective

1663, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1945, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sedate

adjective

se·​date

si-ˈdāt

: quiet in manner or conduct : staid, sober

sedately adverb

sedateness noun

Medical Definition

sedate

transitive verb

se·​date si-ˈdāt 

sedated; sedating

: to dose with sedatives

the patient was sedated before the procedure