Sated

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈseɪtɪd/

Definitions

1. Having achieved complete fulfillment of desires, often related to hunger or emotional longing, and resulting in a state where further want is absent
2. Existing in a condition where all cravings or needs have been completely satisfied, leading to a lack of further desire or appetite
3. Having reached a point where no more is desired or needed due to complete satisfaction

Etymology: "Sated" is the past participle of "sate," and its history is essentially that of "sate" itself. The verb came into Middle English in forms like "satet," "satyt," and "saded," which were later smoothed toward the modern spelling. Its ancestry is older still: "sate" is linked to the Old English "sadian," meaning to satisfy or to become weary of something, so the idea of having had enough sits at the heart of the word from the start. The adjective grew from this participle, so "sated" describes a state rather than an action. Someone who has eaten a large holiday dinner is sated, and so is a reader who has consumed more of a novel than they can bear. The word's core sense of fullness has stayed remarkably steady across the centuries, which is unusual for a verb that has otherwise faded from everyday speech.

Synonyms: satisfied, full

Antonyms: hungry, unsatisfied