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
The cost of unleaded regular gasoline rose by a relatively sedate 2.7% in June.—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 11 July 2024 On September 17, Japan’s normally sedate parliament dissolved into scuffles as opposition politicians tried and failed to prevent a vote on the bills, which ultimately passed.—Michael Auslin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2016
Verb
The animals need to be sedated in order for the zookeepers to so much as trim their hooves.—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 4 July 2024 According to a 2022 article in the ASA Monitor, outpatient surgery, where the patient is sedated only briefly and discharged the same day, as is the case for egg retrievals, now makes up the majority of surgeries in the U.S.—Emma Copley Eisenberg, TIME, 24 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for sedate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sedate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Latin sedatus, from past participle of sedare to calm; akin to sedēre to sit — more at sit
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