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

In 2022, tech billionaire Larry Ellison put his compound in the sedate Seminole Landing enclave on the market for $145 million. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024

The sparse crowd in the normally sedate surroundings of the Dubai terraces made of mostly jubilant South African fans let out a triumphant roar and their party was just getting started. —Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

Verb

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

Worried Lois would discover what had happened to him, Virginia then sedated her mother with the same medication before killing her by beating her with a hammer and stabbing her several times. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 12 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