Choose the Right Synonym for staid

Adjective

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 staid in a Sentence

Adjective a staid and solemn businessman everyone was surprised by the racy joke from the usually staid professor

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The meeting of state economists, a panel comprised of economic forecasters from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office and each branch of the Legislature, is a normally staid affair. — Gray Rohrer, orlandosentinel.com, "Federal stimulus package leaves Florida’s budget out in the cold," 21 Dec. 2020 Her staid and diplomatic approach may offer less of a foil than her predecessor, Jean-Claude Juncker, to Johnson, who sometimes likes to turn his opponents into cartoons. — Washington Post, "Can a Supper Summit resolve Brexit at last? U.K.'s Boris Johnson heads to Brussels.," 9 Dec. 2020 Not to say there isn’t a rebellious streak in Agatha Miller, who throws over her staid fiancé, Reggie Lucy, to marry dashing Archibald Christie in 1914. — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Cozy up your holiday reading with homages to Dame Agatha and detective Holmes," 23 Dec. 2020 Seriously, is there a more staid, stodgy sporting event than the Masters or a more conservative group of athletes than pro golfers? — Mike Bianchi, orlandosentinel.com, "Sorry, UCF, you’re not good enough to beat big, bad Cincinnati | Commentary," 19 Nov. 2020 Though most of the attention was on angry protests in Naples, normally staid Milan saw its own brief wave of unrest, as demonstrators overturned a tram -- just up the street from a hospital packed with patients seeking treatment for the virus. — Marco Bertacche, Bloomberg.com, "Italy Virus Cases Pass 1 Million With Second Lockdowns Under Way," 11 Nov. 2020 Van Halen had never sounded quite so staid or grown up. — Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, "Eddie Van Halen’s Otherworldly Sounds," 7 Oct. 2020 The choice of Buttigieg, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination and has an ardent following among some members of the party, will bring a dash of star power to what is normally a staid, if important, department. — Author: Ian Duncan, Michael Laris, Anchorage Daily News, "Biden says Buttigieg will play key role in rebuilding country after pandemic," 16 Dec. 2020 After hours, the pioneering jazzman Alphonso Trent, who led the house band at downtown’s staid Adolphus Hotel, would arrive with his orchestra to fill the hall with the new swing sound. — Mark Lamster, Dallas News, "How the historic center of Black life in Dallas became a luxury hotel," 5 Nov. 2020

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