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

• earnest
• grave
• humorless
• no-nonsense
• po-faced [British]
• serious
• severe
• sober
• sobersided
• solemn
• staid
• uncomic
• unsmiling
• weighty

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

Set in a sedate corner of Massachusetts circa 1970, the film follows JB Mooney (Josh O’Connor), an unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief, who plans his first big heist. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2025

The sedate surroundings of Dubai International Stadium, site of some rather infamously dull cricket in front of empty terraces, had been transformed. —Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

Verb

He is sedated and this could take some time to heal. —Becca Longmire, People.com, 2 May 2025

Through Casemiro, United rendered the second half sedate enough to allow Amad and Matthijs de Ligt minutes on return from their respective ankle injuries. —Mark Critchley, New York Times, 2 May 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