staid

[steyd]

adjective

1. of settled or sedate character; not flighty or capricious.

   Synonyms: solemn, decorous, serious, proper
   Antonyms: frivolous, wild

2. fixed, settled, or permanent.

verb

1. Archaic.,  a simple past tense and past participle of stay.

staid

/ steɪd /

adjective

1. of a settled, sedate, and steady character

2. rare,  permanent

Other Word Forms

• staidly adverb
• staidness noun
• unstaid adjective
• unstaidly adverb
• unstaidness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of staid¹

First recorded in 1535–45 for adjective use

Word History and Origins

Origin of staid¹

C16: obsolete past participle of _stay ¹

Synonym Study

Staid, sedate, settled indicate a sober and composed type of conduct. Staid indicates an ingrained seriousness and propriety that shows itself in complete decorum; a colorless kind of correctness is indicated: a staid and uninteresting family. Sedate applies to one who is noticeably quiet, composed, and sober in conduct: a sedate and dignified young man. One who is settled has become fixed, especially in a sober or determined way, in manner, judgments, or mode of life: He is young to be so settled in his ways.

Example Sentences

Mejia, a young leftist who electrified the typically staid race for controller in 2022, announced his own reelection bid earlier this month.

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Turning Point USA, founded by the late Charlie Kirk, has attracted the entertaining activist types, while the more staid National Conservatism Conference brings together the more serious thinkers.

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Turning Point USA, founded by the late Charlie Kirk, has attracted the fun, entertaining activist types, while the more staid National Conservatism Conference brings together the more serious thinkers.

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With its collection of hand-painted canvases and stuffed animals, though, the Teen Line corner is easy to pick out in the sea of staid cubicles.

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His staid superhero movie plays like classic sci-fi in which adults wearing sweater vests solemnly brainstorm how to resolve a crisis.

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Related Words

• decorous 
• dignified 
• sedate 
• sober 
• solemn 
• somber 
• stuffy