sedate

1 of 2

adjective

se·​date si-ˈdāt How to pronounce sedate (audio)
: 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
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
Part of that process is done from the air, using helicopters to find, sedate and collar wolves. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 But this specific set of circumstances is not common, and after a relatively sedate 2023 fire season, is unlikely to help many homeowners dealing with damage this week. Sam Dean, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Much like its namesake, Haunted Mansion is an enjoyable, if somewhat sedate experience that is more spooky diversion than thrill ride. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 25 July 2023 The couple actually at the center of the Prime Video comedy are the rather more sedate John (Donald Glover) and Jane (Maya Erskine). Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2024 As previously reported, the largest shark alive today, reaching up to 20 meters long, is the whale shark, a sedate filter feeder. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2024 The mountain formed from the sedate shifts of the nearby mid-Atlantic ridge, where the North American and African tectonic plates slowly pull apart. Quanta Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024 There is little agreement on that question today, an issue that is slowing down an already sedate venture fundraising market. Yuliya Chernova, WSJ, 2 Jan. 2024 The sequence comes just after a more sedate scene, with 59-year-old mogul Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) in a cafe, getting a phone call bearing news from the race that could change the fate of his company. Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023
Verb
It can also be used to sedate agitated people who are at risk of harming themselves or others. Delaney Nothaft, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024 The drug, frequently used to sedate large cattle or horses, acts to prolong the effects of fentanyl in humans. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2024 She was then transported from a hospital in Stanford to one in Lexington, where she was sedated for days. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 3 Jan. 2024 On it, naturalists regale tourists with stories of the flora and fauna, including the Jamaica dogwood or fish-poison tree, which Native Americans used to use as a mild toxin to sedate and catch fish. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2024 And the show cuts several sequences from the film, including a sensationalist scene in which Joe, at rock bottom, is committed to a sanitarium, wrapped in a straitjacket and pinned down as orderlies sedate him. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 When she was released in Huntington Beach, Huskins said she was still somewhat sedated from drugs her attacker gave her that day. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 18 Jan. 2024 He was taken to an emergency room at a local hospital, where he was sedated and monitored for several hours before being sent back to the jail, according to the lawsuit. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024 According to the couple, they were tied up, blindfolded and eventually sedated before Huskins was spirited away in the trunk of a car. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sedate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sedate was in 1663

Dictionary Entries Near sedate

Cite this Entry

“Sedate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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 How to pronounce sedate (audio)
sedated; sedating
: to dose with sedatives
the patient was sedated before the procedure

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