Word
sedate
Phoneticsse·date, stress on the second syllable
US/sɪˈdeɪt/
UK/sɪdˈeɪt/
Definition
v. to make someone or something less active, excited, or noisy. You use this when you want to calm a person down or slow down a process.
v. to reduce the activity, excitement, or intensity of something. Often used in medical contexts to describe the administration of a drug to calm a patient, or in social contexts to describe the calming of a crowd.
Examples
“The doctor gave him a pill to sedate him before the procedure.”
“The police used loudspeakers to sedate the crowd and prevent any further violence in the square.”
“While the initial phase of the project was marked by high energy and rapid prototyping, the management team eventually had to sedate the process to ensure a more rigorous testing phase.”
Examples
simple
“The doctor gave him a pill to sedate him before the procedure.”
contextual
“The police used loudspeakers to sedate the crowd and prevent any further violence in the square.”
complex
“While the initial phase of the project was marked by high energy and rapid prototyping, the management team eventually had to sedate the process to ensure a more rigorous testing phase.”
Real-World Examples
“The beach we visit the next day is more sedate; a day trip to the Île d’Oléron takes us to Plage de Boyardville at the north of the island.” Etymology
The verb is first attested in 1646, the adjective in 1661; borrowed from Latin sēdātus, perfect passive participle of sēdō (“to settle”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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