adj C1 Advanced

sedate

sih-DAYT

Sedate (adj) means Calm, unhurried, and dignified in manner. Example: “The retirement home had a sedate, peaceful atmosphere.”

adj

Calm, unhurried, and dignified in manner.

"The retirement home had a sedate, peaceful atmosphere."

"He gave a sedate little nod and carried on reading."

verb

To give someone a drug that calms them or makes them sleep.

"The vet sedated the dog before the X-ray."

How to use sedate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCalm and composed — or, as a verb, to make someone calm through medication.

Common pairings

sedate atmosphere sedate the patient heavily sedated

Word forms

more sedate comparative, sedater comparative, sedated past tense, sedates singular, most sedate superlative, sedatest superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “sedate” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The retirement home had a _____, peaceful atmosphere.

Etymology

From Latin sedatus, "calmed, settled," from sedare, "to calm" — ultimately from the same root as "sit."

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

View more →

calm tranquilize tranquillize tranquillise

Related words

still peace patient afraid angry collected calm upset

Rhymes for sedate

ate date rate mate fate abate slate plate state grate create update

See all rhymes for sedate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “sedate” mean?

The word “sedate” means calm, unhurried, and dignified in manner. In plain terms, calm and composed — or, as a verb, to make someone calm through medication.

How do you pronounce “sedate”?

“Sedate” is pronounced sih-DAYT (/səˈdeɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “sedate” in a sentence?

Here is “sedate” used in a sentence: “The retirement home had a sedate, peaceful atmosphere.”

What part of speech is “sedate”?

Depending on how it is used, “sedate” can be an adjective and a verb.

Where does the word “sedate” come from?

The word “sedate” comes from Latin. From Latin sedatus, "calmed, settled," from sedare, "to calm" — ultimately from the same root as "sit.".

How many meanings does “sedate” have?

“Sedate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: calm, unhurried, and dignified in manner.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include sedate:

C1 vocabulary words

People also searched

still peace patient afraid angry collected calm upset