Standard Lemma guide

sedate

adj · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /sɪˈdeɪt/
  • General-American: /səˈdeɪt/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: S IH0 D EY1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: collected, cool, placid, staid, unruffled, calm, steady, composed, cool-headed, equable, equanimous, equanimitable, even-keeled, even-minded, even-tempered, imperturbable, laid-back, level-headed, mellow, pacate, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, phlegmatic, quiescent, quiet, relaxed, roolie, sedate, serene, still, tranquil, unexcited, unfazed, unflappable, unflustered, unperturbable, unruffable, untumultuous, austere, frightful, demure, serious, grave, earnest, grievous, lack-laughter, thoughtful, sad, sage, saturnine, solemn, solemncholy, sober, somber, sombre, stern, sweer, weightsome, weighty

Antonyms: unsedate

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of an object, particularly a building: not overly ornate or showy; not having a strong colour or design.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unobtrusive

Antonyms: obtrusive

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of writing: not emotional; calm, composed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of one's mind, thoughts, etc.: calm, sober.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Of an object: not moving; at rest, quiet, still; also, moving smoothly and steadily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep; to tranquilize.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To make (someone or something) calm or tranquil; to assuage, to calm, to soothe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tranquilize

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

characterized by dignity and propriety

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: staid

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a grave God-fearing man
  • a quiet sedate nature
  • as sober as a judge
  • a solemn promise
  • the judge was solemn as he pronounced sentence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grave, sober, solemn

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The patient must be sedated before the operation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: calm, tranquilize, tranquillize, tranquillise

Antonyms: stimulate

Broader terms: affect

Narrower terms: hypnotize, hypnotise, mesmerize, mesmerise

History

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English sedate (“not painful or sore”), and directly from its etymon Latin sēdātus (“calm, quiet, composed”), participial adjective from sēdō (“to allay, appease, calm, settle; to end, stop”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”). Compare English -ate (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘characterized by [the thing specified]’). The verb is partly derived from sēdāt-, a participial stem of sēdō (verb sense 2—“to make (someone or something) calm”; see above), and partly a back-formation from sedation (verb sense 1—“to give (a person) a sedative”) + English -ate (suffix forming verbs). It is first attested slightly later than the adjective.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: спокоен (spokoen) — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Bulgarian: уравновесен (uravnovesen) — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Finnish: hillitty — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Finnish: rauhallinen — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Finnish: tyyni — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Irish: státúil — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Latin: sēdātus — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Russian: споко́йный (spokójnyj) — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Russian: степе́нный (stepénnyj) — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Russian: уравнове́шенный (uravnovéšennyj) — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Slovak: pokojný — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Ottoman Turkish: دولك (dölek) — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Ottoman Turkish: آغر (ağır) — of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement
  • Catalan: sedar — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • Finnish: antaa rauhoittavia — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • Finnish: rauhoittaa — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • German: sedieren — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • Italian: sedare — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sedere — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bedøve — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • Persian: آرام کردن (ârâm kardan) — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • Portuguese: sedar — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize
  • Spanish: sedar — to give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep — see also tranquilize