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

Edward shakes up the staid neighborhood because he’s a newcomer, an invader of sorts, into their calm, organized suburban bubble.

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He used to present as a staid mainline Episcopalian, but now he denounces that church and speaks of being “mauled by demons.”

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Padilla, a typically staid legislator, then offered a modified riff of a lyric by rapper Ice Cube, who grew up in South Los Angeles.

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But beyond the staid statecraft, the summit and sideline events featured plenty of nods to the host country's vibrant pop culture and history.

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It’s an unusual move for a staid 60/40 fund, although Giroux notes that the loans’ floating rates mean that they bear relatively little interest-rate risk, as does the fund’s overall bond portfolio.

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Related Words

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