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
At Luna Pier's Water Tower Park, just under a mile from downtown, the gathering was more sedate.—Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024 At a watch party for sales tax supporters at the J. Rieger & Co. distillery, the mood turned more sedate as the results rolled in.—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024 Where Yemen is lawless and violent, Oman is almost impossibly sedate and tidy, an Arab Switzerland.—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 Nevertheless, her quest also moves along at a relatively sedate pace.—Jessica Liese, Variety, 14 Feb. 2024 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
Verb
Veterinarians regularly use xylazine to sedate or calm everything from sheep and cattle to cats and dogs before surgery or while conducting diagnostic tests.—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024 She was then transported from a hospital in Stanford to one in Lexington, where she was sedated for days.—Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024 But after having begun the process — being sedated to retrieve her eggs and paying hundreds of dollars annually to properly store the embryos made with her husband — McKnight can’t afford right now to get the embryos out of a freezer.—Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024 After sedating the 12-foot, 750-pound reptile, officers taped Albert's mouth and drove away with him in the back of a van.—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 Remarkably, hypnosis is still used to sedate people undergoing minor surgeries today.—Emily Latimer, Longreads, 25 Jan. 2024 Once fire department officials got ahold of Jeffery, the shelter's Chief of Veterinary Medicine sedated him so he could be safely transported to the clinic and be cared for.—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024 Animal rescue teams from the City of Riverside Fire Department and Norco Animal Rescue teamed up to sedate the horse — named Conquistador — and prepare him for flight, which included blindfolding him, officials said.—Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024 As many medications can sedate dogs or leave them lethargic, CBD provides a better alternative for those dogs experiencing mild pain, especially due to old age.—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 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
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