adjective
staid
STAYD/steɪd/
Serious, respectable, and rather dull or conventional.
The staid office worker sits upright in the old-fashioned room.
Etymology
The idea of standing still became “fixed” or “permanent” in the participle of stay. Applied to people, this settled quality came to mean sober and sedate—the restrained manner now described as staid.
In context
they were Saints in rather staid poses right and one you know one arm up arm weight on one leg that kind of thing with Tintoretto though totally different it explodes with energy
More examples
- The restaurant's staid decor favors dark wood and muted colors.
- Even the staid accountant laughs at her joke.
- The company hopes a new logo will soften its staid image.
Forms
staid
staidly adverb — In a serious and conventional manner.
Similar words
- sober
- Emphasizes seriousness and restraint rather than dull conventionality.
- sedate
- Emphasizes calm, unhurried behavior rather than conventional style.
- conventional
- Emphasizes following accepted customs, without necessarily being serious.