staid

1 of 2

adjective

ˈstād 

: marked by settled sedateness and often prim self-restraint : sober, grave

staidly adverb

staidness noun

staid

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of stay

Synonyms

Adjective

• solemn
• serious
• stern

Choose the Right Synonym for staid

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

Much of the composition is given to the trio of commissioners who, tasked with investigating charges of bias in the trial, upheld the verdict—their faces sagging and stony, their staid officiousness echoing the resolute lines of the courthouse behind them. —Nicole Rudick, The New York Review of Books, 2 Oct. 2025

Lian is searching for a new home for her and her boyfriend, the staid Zhetai, while Wenyu is engaged to Thomas, a wealthy American with a tech job. —Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025

Characters archly comment on proceedings directly to camera at some points and retreat into the staid distance of historical drama at others, as passages of seemingly earnest melodrama crash abruptly into broad-brush contemporary satire. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025

Industry events are often staid affairs, full of long-winded speeches and by-the-numbers performances. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of stay entry 3

First Known Use

Adjective

1557, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for staid

• aid
• aide
• bade
• blade
• braid
• clade
• dade
• fade
• flayed
• fraid
• frayed
• gade

Kids Definition

staid

1 of 2 adjective

ˈstād 

1

: not easily changed : settled, fixed

a staid opinion

2

a

: calm and serious in manner, attitude, or style

b

: not bold, bright, or showy

staid colors

staidly adverb

staidness noun

staid

2 of 2

past and past participle of stay