staidness
- noun
- /ˈsteɪd.nəs/
- The staidness of the event was comforting, as everyone wore formal attire and engaged in polite conversation.
Examples
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She admired the staidness of the professor, who always conducted himself with great dignity during lectures.
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In contrast to the bright colors around her, the staidness of his outfit made him appear serious and reserved.
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I liked Sophia's living room—the staidness of it, the good, worn furniture handed down from relatives.
Fiction book (1998) -
By the time I was the age Viva was when she dreamed her dream of devastation, the civil rights movement had begun in the South, and a wind of change was blowing despite the staidness and complacency of the 1950s.
Academic text (1998)
Synonyms
A serious, formal feeling that shows respect
Quiet and serious behavior that shows self control
A serious and calm way of behaving that shows respect
Antonyms
How Serious
- Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Staidness comes from staid, a word tied to stay, which means 'to remain' or 'be settled', and the ending -ness means 'the state of'. So staidness is the state of being calm, serious, and steady.