As with other homophones, the words staid and stayed have similar sounds and may sometimes cause confusion. Despite this similarity, these two terms have different meanings and in fatc, are different parts of speech. Today, let us help you choose correctly which of them should be used in a particular sentence.
First, the word staid is commonly used as an adjective which means “sedate, respectable, and unadventurous” or “marked by settled sedateness and often prim self-restraint.” Its synonyms include serious, grave, and solemn.
Law & Order True Crime Is a Staid, Tedious Affair
The Atlantic
Disobedience Review: A Strangely Staid Story About Hidden Passions
Vanity Fair
“It isn’t a physically dynamic scenario, and it’s hard to see how to open up a story that’s so staid and limited.”
The Verge
On the other hand, the term stayed is the past tense and past participle form of the verb stay which means “to remain in the same place” or “to remain in a specified state or position.” Its synonyms include remained, lingered, and settled.
Ben Roethlisberger explains why Steelers stayed in locker room for national anthem
CBS Sports
ADT burglar alarm stayed silent while I was being robbed
The Guardian
Beyonce, Eniko Hart & More Celebrity Wives Who Stayed With Their Men After Cheating Scandals
Hollywood Life
It may also be used as a verb meaning “to stop or delay the proceeding or advance of by or as if by interposing an obstacle.” This is mostly used in legal proceedings.
What we know so far about Wab Kinew’s convictions, stayed charges
CBC
Extradition of suspects in Jassi Sidhu murder stayed, according to Punjabi news service
Vancouver Sun
Multi-million-dollar lawsuit stayed against CL Financial*
Trinidad & Tobago Express
Hopefully, our discussion above helped you distinguish between staid and stayed as well as learn their different uses and meanings. Remember that some performances are described as staid because the performers stayed with their usual routines too often.