adagiare

Adagiare is an Italian transitive verb meaning to lay down gently or to place in a resting position. It denotes careful, deliberate placement on a surface, rather than a rough or casual setting, and is commonly used in formal, literary, or clinical language. In everyday speech, verbs like posare or mettere are more typical substitutes.

In medical and caregiving contexts, adagiare describes positioning a patient for examination, treatment, or rest. Example: Il medico ha adagiato il paziente sul lettino. In artistic, domestic, or decorative settings, it can also refer to placing fabrics, objects, or figures in a resting, composed arrangement—adagiando una stoffa sul tavolo, adagiando una scultura al centro della sala.

The reflexive form adagiarsi means to lie down, to settle oneself, or to rest. Example: Dopo la lunga giornata si è adagiato sul divano.

Past participle: adagiato (masc.), adagiata (fem.). It appears in compound tenses and passive constructions (è stato adagiato, è stata adagiata). The verb generally follows the standard -are conjugation pattern, aligning with other regular verbs of the same class.

See also: posare, porre, adagiare vs adagiarsi.