sate

\ ˈsāt , ˈsat \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of sate

archaic past of sit

sate

verb \ ˈsāt \

Definition of sate

sated; sating

transitive verb

1 : to cloy with overabundance : glut

2 : to appease by indulging to the full

sate one's thirst

See sate defined for English-language learners

See sate defined for kids

Examples of sate in a Sentence

The meal was more than enough to sate his hunger.
The information sated their curiosity.

Recent Examples of sate from the Web

My 10-year-old was easily sated by its surplus of hot, stringy cheese and casually ignored the sheen of grease on top.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "Urban Bricks' serviceable fast-casual pizza in north Arlington lacking in authenticity | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 11 Apr. 2018
Nor would new tariffs necessarily stop Mexican avocado imports: The United States can’t sate its appetite for avocados elsewhere (no other producer is big enough), and the Mexicans have no other market so big and so near.

— brook larmer, New York Times, "How the Avocado Became the Fruit of Global Trade," 27 Mar. 2018
And the glorification of a woman's role as a mother has always been a breadcrumb intended to sate women who might otherwise demand to be more than mothers.

— jennifer wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Motherhood Is Not a Woman's Most Important Job," 17 Mar. 2017
For some people, though, a keto diet has one big perk: Its high-fat foods leave adherents feeling sated without needing to snack between meals.

— kate morgan, The Cut, "What Exactly Is the Keto Diet, and Is It Safe?," 31 Jan. 2018
Seldom has his appetite for the symmetrical been so extensively sated.

— john cassidy, The New Yorker, "“Tomb Raider” and “Isle of Dogs,” Reviewed," 15 Mar. 2018
Classic comfort food like nachos, flatbread pizza and cheesy potato skins will sate sports fans between sips of local craft brews such as Short’s, Bell’s and Atwater.

— jeff milo, Detroit Free Press, "Top 15 metro Detroit bars, pubs for St. Patrick's Day, March Madness," 14 Mar. 2018
Carnivores can sate their meaty cravings with the Bacon Cheeseburger Mac ($9.50).

— james patrick kelly, idahostatesman, "Mad Mac expands to brick-and-mortar restaurant at the Boise Spectrum | Idaho Statesman," 8 Mar. 2018
There’s no question that the markets sent a strong signal in 2017 that our economy is sated on regulation.

— scott galloway, Esquire, "Silicon Valley’s Tax-Avoiding, Job-Killing, Soul-Sucking Machine," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sate

probably by shortening & alteration from satiate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1579

See Words from the same year

sate Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of sate

satiate, sate, surfeit, cloy, pall, glut, gorge mean to fill to repletion. satiate and sate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.

- years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel
- readers were sated with sensationalistic stories

surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

- surfeited themselves with junk food

cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

- sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

- a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

- a market glutted with diet books

gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

- gorged themselves with chocolate

SATE Defined for English Language Learners

sate

verb

Definition of sate for English Language Learners

: to fill (someone) with food so that no more is wanted
: to end (something, such as hunger or curiosity) by providing everything that is required or wanted