Staid

//steɪd// adj, verb

adj, verb ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    Obsolete spelling of stayed. alt-of, obsolete

    "The Company had now ſtaid ſo long, that Mrs. Fitzpatrick plainly perceived they all deſigned to ſtay out each other. She therefore reſolved to rid herſelf of Jones, he being the Viſitant, to whom ſhe thought the leaſt Ceremony was due."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Not capricious or impulsive; sedate, serious, sober.

    "Put thy ſelfe / Into a hauiour of leſſe feare, ere wildneſſe / Vanquiſh my ſtayder Senſes."

  2. 2
    Always fixed in the same location; stationary. rare

    "'Tis not age or height alone / Can secure the staidest throne / From the reach of Change or Death,— […]"

Adjective
  1. 1
    characterized by dignity and propriety wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
decorousabstemiousaridausterebarrencalm

Example

More examples

"New Age ideas are a refreshing alternative to the staid orthodoxy of traditional Christianity."

Etymology

From an obsolete spelling of stayed, the past participle of stay, used as an adjective.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.