Definition of staidnext

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of staid are earnest, grave, sedate, serious, sober, and solemn. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Where would earnest be a reasonable alternative to staid?

While the synonyms earnest and staid are close in meaning, earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When can grave be used instead of staid?

While in some cases nearly identical to staid, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When is sedate a more appropriate choice than staid?

The meanings of sedate and staid largely overlap; however, sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

In what contexts can serious take the place of staid?

The words serious and staid can be used in similar contexts, but serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

When could sober be used to replace staid?

In some situations, the words sober and staid 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 staid?

The words solemn and staid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of staid The menu is another giveaway that this won’t be some staid meal. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026 Although the likes of the Go Go’s and the Cars are present at times, the soundtrack as a whole seems too staid to provide a backdrop for ’80s kids kicking around in the heyday of punk. Gina Friedlande, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026 Through it all, the 55-year-old former Fed governor exudes a confidence that is the antithesis of Harry Truman's paradigmatic two-handed economist — qualities that seemed to attract the president and might be essential in his effort to reform the staid Federal Reserve. Steve Liesman,matt Peterson, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026 Zegras’ easygoing personality went against the NHL’s staid grain. Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for staid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staid
Adjective
  • Scenes from some of the Robert Pearson character’s old movies are done in a 1940s Hollywood style using young actors that resemble James Dean or Robert Mitchum juxtaposed with the stark, solemn, isolated existence of the elderly Pearson.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Although the pope celebrates mass regularly on Sundays, feast days, and many other occasions, the Urbi et Orbi blessing is much rarer, reserved for solemn events in the church’s liturgical calendar.
    Leo XIV, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • One of the people listening was an imposing but soft-spoken guy dressed in black, with a baseball cap nearly covering his eyes.
    Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Only Andy Pages has looked alert in the Dodgers’ super-imposing lineup, which would have been shut out before a crowd of 45,556 at Dodger Stadium if not for Freddie Freeman’s two-out home run in the ninth inning.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The breadth of recent enforcement actions and license revocations makes clear that this is a serious, ongoing problem that demands immediate and sustained action.
    Tom Koutsoumpas, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
  • But that document raised serious questions about recent assertions made by the city in a related lawsuit.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The honor of speaking at this distinguished ceremony is usually given to an eminent writer.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Congressman David Scott moved our state forward over half a century of distinguished public service – from working to bolster farmers and rural communities to putting health care in reach for children across our state.
    Dan Raby, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Now, the historic oil crisis triggered by the United States and Israel’s war on Iran is posing the sternest test to date of China’s Promethean effort toward energy self-sufficiency.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The cast is a murderers row of British actors, and the twisting plot of the novel is full of introspection and doubt, which makes for a tight 127 minutes of shocking revelations told through stern and troubled looks.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Also old is the idea that health is a collective responsibility, and that giving a dignified life to the poor is part of the government’s job.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Well, that won’t do, and Kyra soon embarks on a mission to install the sign, one that draws in every member of the community board while exposing the tensions simmering just below Vernon Point’s dignified facade.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • But such disagreements tended to be handled with the decorous language of diplomacy.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The playing position was thought more decorous than the position for the violin, and the mandolin itself was visually attractive, appearing as a fashion accessory in any number of paintings.
    Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Set the scene The streets of Forte—as insiders call it—are a maze of tall box hedges and gates that shelter private villas built for wealthy and aristocratic Italian families.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
  • All of these Les Lalanne pieces belong to the collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg — Jean is a Canadian of French aristocratic descent and a Bronfman of the Seagram’s empire; Terry was the creative director of YSL beauty.
    David Lê, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Staid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staid. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

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