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The time has come at last to share the “sad” history of satiate, by which we mean that the two words—sad and satiate—are etymologically connected, not that the details will have you reaching for the tissue box. Both satiate and sad are related to the Latin adjective satis, meaning “enough.” When we say our desire, thirst, curiosity, etc. has been satiated, we mean it has been fully satisfied (satisfy being another satis descendant)—in other words, we’ve had enough. Satiate and sate (believed to be an alteration and shortening of satiate) sometimes imply simple contentment, but often suggest that having enough has dulled interest or desire for more, as in “Years of globe-trotting satiated their interest in travel.” Sad, which in its earliest use could describe someone who was weary or tired of something, traces back to the Old English adjective sæd, meaning “sated,” and sæd shares an ancient root with Latin satis.
Synonyms
Examples of satiate in a Sentence
Sarah Han, Allure, 10 Oct. 2023
September 28, 2023 Lin Chen September may have left you feeling a bit spoiled by life, or at least satiated and content—but your October 2023 horoscope signals a change in the tides.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2023
Veterans like Nas, Black Thought, and Killer Mike released projects that satiated their base.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2023
Grab your wishlist and your wallet, and prepare to satiate those savings cravings with some of the best beauty buys.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 12 Oct. 2023
The healthy fat from the flaxseed oil ensures that the digestion of the protein is slowed down, helping to regulate insulin output and the blood sugar level remains constant—the breakfast thus satiates for hours.
—Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2023
The two songs, released Tuesday, seek to satiate fans hungry for new bars from the beloved North Carolina duo.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2023
Games that are well done in difficulty satiate your desire for competence.
—WIRED, 20 Sep. 2023
To satiate the state’s zest to create tools to provide affordable housing, the city declared this site as surplus property, which triggered the only development solution to be affordable housing.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'satiate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Satiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/satiate. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
satiate
1 of 2 adjective
satiate
2 of 2 verb
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