steady

[ sted-ee ]

adjective

, stead·i·er, stead·i·est.

1. firmly placed or fixed; stable in position or equilibrium:

   a steady ladder.

   Synonyms: firm

2. even or regular in movement:

   the steady swing of the pendulum.

3. free from change, variation, or interruption; uniform; continuous:

   a steady diet of meat and potatoes;

   a steady wind.

   Synonyms: invariable

4. constant, regular, or habitual:

   a steady job.

5. free from excitement or agitation; calm:

   steady nerves.

6. unfaltering; firm:

   a steady gaze;

   a steady hand.

7. steadfast or unwavering; resolute:

   a steady purpose.

8. settled, staid, or sober, as a person, habits, etc.
9. Nautical. (of a vessel) keeping nearly upright, as in a heavy sea.

interjection

1. (used to urge someone to calm down or be under control.)
2. Nautical. (a helm order to keep a vessel steady on its present heading.)

noun

, plural stead·ies.

1. Informal. a person whom one dates exclusively; sweetheart.
2. Informal. a steady visitor, customer, or the like; habitué.

verb (used with object)

, stead·ied, stead·y·ing.

1. to make or keep steady, as in position, movement, action, character, etc.:

   His calm confidence steadied the nervous passengers.

verb (used without object)

, stead·ied, stead·y·ing.

1. to become steady.

adverb

1. in a firm or steady manner:

   Hold the ladder steady.

2. Informal. steadily, regularly, or continuously:

   Is she working steady now?

steady

/ ˈstɛdɪ /

adjective

1. not able to be moved or disturbed easily; stable
2. free from fluctuation

   the level stayed steady

3. not easily excited; imperturbable
4. staid; sober
5. regular; habitual

   a steady drinker

6. continuous

   a steady flow

7. nautical (of a vessel) keeping upright, as in heavy seas

verb

1. to make or become steady

adverb

1. in a steady manner
2. go steady informal.
   go steady to date one person regularly

noun

1. informal.
   one's regular boyfriend or girlfriend

interjection

1. nautical an order to the helmsman to stay on a steady course
2. a warning to keep calm, be careful, etc
3. a command to get set to start, as in a race

   ready, steady, go!

Derived Forms

• ˈsteadiness, noun
• ˈsteadily, adverb
• ˈsteadier, noun

Other Words From

• stead·i·ly adverb
• stead·i·ness noun
• o·ver·stead·i·ness noun
• o·ver·stead·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of steady¹

First recorded in 1520–30; 1905–10 steady fordef 12; stead + -y ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of steady¹

C16: from stead + -y ¹; related to Old High German stātīg , Middle Dutch stēdig

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go steady, Informal. to date one person exclusively:

   Her father didn't approve of her going steady at such an early age.

More idioms and phrases containing steady

In addition to the idiom beginning with steady , also see go steady ; slow but sure (steady wins the race) .

Synonym Study

See steadfast.

Example Sentences

Her legs shook and she sat on her hands to try and steady herself.

From ProPublica

Within these systems can be broad swaths of steady rainfall called stratiform regions, Gramling says.

From Science News

That’s corroborated by data from job-search websites such as Indeed, which also shows a slowing trend of job listings after steady gains earlier in the summer.

From FiveThirtyEight

While wearable fitness devices saw an uptick in shipments in North America for Q2, the overall dollar amount of the market remained steady, according to new numbers out of Canalys.

From TechCrunch

They can watch and tightly measure as the vortex loops merge and evolve into turbulence, analyze its steady state, subject it to various forces and tweaks to see how it responds, and then stop feeding it and study its decay.

From Quanta Magazine

It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds.

From The Daily Beast

Superintendent Smith, in fact, had fielded a steady stream of complaints about him that never resulted in any direct action.

From The Daily Beast

Outside, a lone traffic policeman directs a steady stream of motorbikes.

From The Daily Beast

The female fan base tends to hold steady at 38 percent, according to Amanda Regan, a spokeswoman for Feld Motor Sports.

From The Daily Beast

Activating iPhones promised a lucrative, steady revenue stream for Synchronoss.

From The Daily Beast

The minister's eye kept steady to one point; to raise the country he governed, to the utmost pinnacle of earthly grandeur.

From Project Gutenberg

I begged him to come down here, but he wouldn't—says that his hand is no longer steady enough to hold a gun—it's awful!

From Project Gutenberg

He had improved of late years a little, and he gave me his word that he would be steady.

From Project Gutenberg

Lyn was looking at me intently, and her voice was steady; that squeezed kind of steadiness that is almost worse than tears.

From Project Gutenberg

With beating heart, but steady hand and frowning eye, he advanced another step and found—that the object was a yellow stone!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• consistent
• constant
• continuous
• incessant
• persistent
• regular
• stable
• unbroken
• uninterrupted