Synonyms of sedate

sedate 1 of 2

adjective

si-ˈdāt 

1

as in solemn

not joking or playful in mood or manner

while not exactly cold, the doctor does maintain a sedate and purely professional demeanor with his patients

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solemn
• serious
• stern
• staid
• earnest
• sober
• unsmiling
• humorless
• professional
• distinguished
• severe
• harsh
• po-faced
• strict
• no-nonsense
• uncomic
• weighty
• grave
• sobersided
• businesslike
• dignified
• grim
• serious-minded
• gloomy
• elevated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• playful
• humorous
• jocular
• flippant
• kittenish
• facetious
• joking
• flip
• light
• riotous
• funny
• comical
• ludic
• droll
• comic
• hysterical
• ridiculous
• hysteric
• farcical
• ludicrous
• hilarious
• antic
• lighthearted
• laughable
• uproarious
• screaming
• frivolous
• risible
• goofy
• jesting
• flighty
• puerile
• scatterbrained
• foolish
• insane
• mad
• harebrained
• zany
• unwise
• silly
• absurd
• nutty
• crazy
• balmy
• preposterous
• whacky
• wacky
• daffy
• jerky
• light-headed
• brainless
• sidesplitting
• cockeyed
• witless
• kooky
• loony
• fatuous
• senseless
• lunatic
• sappy
• nonsensical
• cuckoo
• featherbrained
• daft
• asinine
• dotty
• screwball
• weak-minded
• looney
• half-witted
• kookie

2

as in calm

free from emotional or mental agitation

her expression remained sedate as I told her the bad news

Synonyms & Similar Words

• calm
• serene
• peaceful
• composed
• tranquil
• placid
• collected
• smooth
• unperturbed
• unruffled
• possessed
• undisturbed
• steady
• at peace
• unworried
• confident
• cool
• mellow
• untroubled
• limpid
• level
• relaxed
• recollected
• centered
• together
• self-possessed
• unshaken
• nonchalant
• relieved
• coolheaded
• equal
• self-composed
• imperturbable
• well-balanced
• detached
• unflappable
• equable
• easygoing
• carefree
• sober
• nerveless
• tranquillized
• disciplined
• even-keeled
• dispassionate
• phlegmatic
• tranquilized
• breezy
• affable
• laid-back
• aloof
• unconcerned
• even
• unshakable
• stolid
• well-adjusted
• assured
• bovine
• indifferent
• self-contained
• impassive
• self-controlled
• happy-go-lucky
• loosey-goosey
• self-assured
• devil-may-care

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• upset
• agitated
• disturbed
• perturbed
• anxious
• distressed
• bothered
• uneasy
• unstrung
• nervous
• worried
• unsettled
• restless
• flustered
• discomposed
• tense
• unquiet
• jittery
• unhinged
• jumpy
• skittish
• unglued
• unstable
• uptight
• high-strung

sedate

2 of 2

verb

as in to narcotize

Synonyms & Similar Words

• narcotize
• relax
• relieve
• mitigate
• alleviate
• stupefy
• allay
• ease
• quell
• assuage
• solace
• pacify
• placate
• calm
• lay
• mollify
• appease
• quiet
• hush
• conciliate
• lull
• soothe
• tranquilize
• tranquillize
• compose
• quieten
• salve
• still
• settle
• becalm
• lullaby

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disturb
• upset
• perturb
• agitate
• vex
• intensify
• heighten
• aggravate
• discompose
• disquiet
• key (up)
• stir (up)
• rouse
• excite
• arouse
• incite
• work up
• foment

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sedate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sedate are earnest, grave, serious, sober, solemn, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

When might earnest be a better fit than sedate?

While in some cases nearly identical to sedate, earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

In what contexts can grave take the place of sedate?

The words grave and sedate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

Where would serious be a reasonable alternative to sedate?

The synonyms serious and sedate are sometimes interchangeable, but serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

When could sober be used to replace sedate?

In some situations, the words sober and sedate are roughly equivalent. However, sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When would solemn be a good substitute for sedate?

The meanings of solemn and sedate largely overlap; however, solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

When is staid a more appropriate choice than sedate?

While the synonyms staid and sedate are close in meaning, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sedate

Adjective

Miami International Mall opened in a sedate unincorporated western Miami-Dade neighborhood in August 1982. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2025

In person, Wood is funny but sedate, speaking in a deadpan carried along by a prankish undercurrent. —Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Verb

The conditions are harsh, with crazy winds and parched terrain cooking up one calamity after another, and anyone who isn’t on edge is either in denial, sedated or a renter. —Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025

The majority of the rapes at issue took place after Gisèle was sedated at dinner, and Crea’s phrase picks up on the role of night in the case. —Katie Ebner-Landy, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025