When I read this week’s featured sentence I wondered how one managed to drug an entire community.  (Paraphrased so we can’t identify the author.)

“The once sedated community has become the focus of a criminal mind.”

 

Sedated – made calm or sleepy by means of sedatives.

The anesthesiologist sedated the child before transferring her to the gurney for the trip to the operating room.

Florence chose to spend her days sedated to the point of oblivion after her child died.

 

Sedate – calm, quiet, composed, decorous.

Alex’s new teacher appeared sedate no matter how unruly her kindergarten class became.

The bride was sedate in a long-sleeved, modest white gown.

 

Here’s another look at Sedated and Sedate.

Wrong:

Although Megan treasured her multitude of tattoos, she wore a sedated suit to the job interview.

The drugs scattered across the table, and Ash’s vague gaze clued the detective that Ash was sedate.

Right:

Horace only pretended to sip the champagne because he had no intention of being sedated on his wedding night.

While some men like to date wild women they only want to marry sedate girls.

If Janice didn’t know how sedate her cousin really was, she might have thought the second beer sedated Candy.

 

Here’s your memory aid. If it’s due to drinks or drugs, or even the sun, you’ve probably been sedated.  If you’re naturally calm and collected, you can claim you are sedate.