sedate

[ si-deyt ]

adjective

1. calm, quiet, or composed; undisturbed by passion or excitement:

   a sedate party;

   a sedate horse.

   Synonyms: unperturbed, unruffled, serene, collected

verb (used with object)

, se·dat·ed, se·dat·ing.

1. to put (a person) under sedation.

sedate

¹

/ sɪˈdeɪt /

verb

1. tr to administer a sedative to

sedate

²

/ sɪˈdeɪt /

adjective

1. habitually calm and composed in manner; serene
2. staid, sober, or decorous

Derived Forms

• seˈdately, adverb
• seˈdateness, noun

Other Words From

• se·date·ly adverb
• se·date·ness noun
• un·se·date adjective
• un·se·date·ly adverb
• un·se·date·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sedate¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin sēdātus (past participle of sēdāre “to allay, quieten”); akin to sedēre “to sit”; sit ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sedate¹

C20: back formation from sedative

Origin of sedate²

C17: from Latin sēdāre to soothe; related to sedēre to sit

Synonym Study

See staid.

Example Sentences

After the tourists were forced on to the back foot early, the opener played an uncharacteristically sedate knock to lend some respect to the England total.

From BBC

In Fox’s New York studios, the mood was a bit more sedate.

From Slate

Embracing what he calls "the madness" of "Teacup" represents a more sedate kind of madness for Speedman, who talked with us about his "intense" years of early fame on "Felicity," why he thinks horror is "family drama," and how becoming a dad made him wish he could redo some of his earlier performances.

From Salon

The unusually sedate gathering ended with Fury tickling the champion after the obligatory face-off.

From BBC

To fit the tags, scientists had to locate and sedate bears.

From BBC

Related Words

• decorous
• dignified
• laid-back
• placid
• quiet
• serene
• sober
• solemn
• somber
• staid
• tranquil
• unflappable