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
At a watch party for sales tax supporters at the J. Rieger & Co. distillery, the mood turned more sedate as the results rolled in.—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024 Where Yemen is lawless and violent, Oman is almost impossibly sedate and tidy, an Arab Switzerland.—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 Nevertheless, her quest also moves along at a relatively sedate pace.—Jessica Liese, Variety, 14 Feb. 2024 Part of that process is done from the air, using helicopters to find, sedate and collar wolves.—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 But this specific set of circumstances is not common, and after a relatively sedate 2023 fire season, is unlikely to help many homeowners dealing with damage this week.—Sam Dean, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Much like its namesake, Haunted Mansion is an enjoyable, if somewhat sedate experience that is more spooky diversion than thrill ride.—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 25 July 2023 The couple actually at the center of the Prime Video comedy are the rather more sedate John (Donald Glover) and Jane (Maya Erskine).—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2024 As previously reported, the largest shark alive today, reaching up to 20 meters long, is the whale shark, a sedate filter feeder.—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2024
Verb
Once fire department officials got ahold of Jeffery, the shelter's Chief of Veterinary Medicine sedated him so he could be safely transported to the clinic and be cared for.—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024 Animal rescue teams from the City of Riverside Fire Department and Norco Animal Rescue teamed up to sedate the horse — named Conquistador — and prepare him for flight, which included blindfolding him, officials said.—Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024 As many medications can sedate dogs or leave them lethargic, CBD provides a better alternative for those dogs experiencing mild pain, especially due to old age.—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024 Cornell vets sedated Ricardo to flush out and clean the wound, Skylands said in a Christmas Day update.—Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 25 Jan. 2024 To avoid Teifi becoming distressed, the vet who was also in attendance sedated him and crews proceeded to utilize road traffic collision and animal rescue equipment to release him from the cattle grid.—Maureen MacKey, Fox News, 10 Mar. 2024 The animals weren’t sedated, because that could conceal a medical emergency or compromise their ability to breathe.—Jason Gulley Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 It can also be used to sedate agitated people who are at risk of harming themselves or others.—Delaney Nothaft, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024 The drug, frequently used to sedate large cattle or horses, acts to prolong the effects of fentanyl in humans.—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2024
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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