SEDATE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does sedate mean? 

• SEDATE (adjective)
  The adjective SEDATE has 2 senses:

1. characterized by dignity and propriety

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

  Familiarity information: SEDATE used as an adjective is rare.

• SEDATE (verb)
  The verb SEDATE has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: SEDATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SEDATE (adjective)

Comparative: sedater   
Superlative: sedatest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Characterized by dignity and propriety

Synonyms:

sedate; staid

Similar:

decorous (characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct)

Derivation:

sedateness (a trait of dignified seriousness)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

grave; sedate; sober; solemn

Context example:

the judge was solemn as he pronounced sentence

Similar:

serious (concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities)

Derivation:

sedateness (a trait of dignified seriousness)

• SEDATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they sedate    ... he / she / it sedates   
Past simple: sedated   
Past participle: sedated   
-ing form: sedating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

calm; sedate; tranquilize; tranquillise; tranquillize

Context example:

The patient must be sedated before the operation

Hypernyms (to "sedate" is one way to...):

affect (act physically on; have an effect upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sedate"):

hypnotise; hypnotize; mesmerise; mesmerize (induce hypnosis in)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Antonym:

stimulate (cause to be alert and energetic)

Derivation:

sedation (the administration of a sedative agent or drug)

sedative (tending to soothe or tranquilize)

 Context examples 

Jane looked a little paler than usual, but more sedate than Elizabeth had expected.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

A long-acting piperidine derivate with selective H1 antihistaminergic and non-sedating properties.

(Desloratadine, NCI Thesaurus)

A third generation, non-sedating, selective histamine H1 receptor antagonist, with antihistamine, anti-inflammatory and potential anti-angiogenic activities.

(Levocetirizine, NCI Thesaurus)

Eleanor's countenance was dejected, yet sedate; and its composure spoke her inured to all the gloomy objects to which they were advancing.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

The dihydrochloride salt form of the active levorotatory enantiomer of cetirizine, levocetirizine; a third generation, non-sedating, selective histamine H1 receptor antagonist, with antihistamine, anti-inflammatory and potential anti-angiogenic activities.

(Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

It is likely that this frenzy eventually will slow to a stop, and that over the next 10 billion years other smaller galaxies may merge with Sparky, causing it to expand and become a mammoth, sedate elliptical galaxy.

(Telescopes Uncover Early Construction of Giant Galaxy, NASA)

Or, if she were in a very sedate and serious state of mind, she would sit down with the tablets, and a little basket of bills and other documents, which looked more like curl-papers than anything else, and endeavour to get some result out of them.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

This gallant young man, who seemed to love without feeling, and to recommend himself without complaisance, directly handed over the word to Miss Fairfax, and with a particular degree of sedate civility entreated her to study it.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

But appearing to remark that Mr. Wickfield went on with his dinner in the same sedate, immovable manner, and that there was no hope of making him relax a muscle of his face, he added: However, I have said what I came to say, and, with another apology for this intrusion, I may take myself off.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I went up to my bedroom to change my wet clothes; and the vast extent of that old wainscoted apartment (which was over the archway leading to the Inn, I remember), and the sedate immensity of the four-post bedstead, and the indomitable gravity of the chests of drawers, all seemed to unite in sternly frowning on the fortunes of Traddles, or on any such daring youth.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)