sedate

1 of 2

adjective

se·​date si-ˈdāt 

: keeping a quiet steady attitude or pace : unruffled

sedately adverb

sedateness noun

sedate

2 of 2

verb

sedated; sedating

transitive verb

: to dose with sedatives

Synonyms

Adjective

• solemn
• serious
• stern

Choose the Right Synonym for sedate

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 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

The trial has drawn podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in the state of Victoria better known for prize-winning roses. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 July 2025

For more sedate vibes, there’s a library with around 2,000 titles. —Fran Golden, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2025

Verb

The final 10 kilometres of stage eight were as dramatic as the previous 161 had been sedate, the peloton largely treating themselves to a more relaxed — albeit still quite rapid — day after a tense opening week. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 12 July 2025

In this case that means the strong looks are backed by a well-vetted, but pretty sedate 2.0-liter four-cylinder. —New Atlas, 11 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin sedatus, from past participle of sedare to calm; akin to sedēre to sit — more at sit

Verb

back-formation from sedative

First Known Use

Adjective

1663, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1945, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sedate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

sedate

adjective

se·​date

si-ˈdāt

: quiet in manner or conduct : staid, sober

sedately adverb

sedateness noun

Medical Definition

sedate

transitive verb

se·​date si-ˈdāt 

sedated; sedating

: to dose with sedatives

the patient was sedated before the procedure