poised
Americanadjective
-
(of a person) composed, dignified, and self-assured.
-
being in balance or equilibrium.
a ball poised on the nose of a seal.
-
teetering or wavering.
to be poised on the brink of disaster.
-
hovering or suspended in or as in midair.
a bird poised in flight; a helicopter poised overhead.
-
readied or prepared to do something or for something to happen.
a singer poised to make sales history with a new album.
adjective
-
self-possessed; dignified; exhibiting composure
-
balanced and prepared for action
a skier poised at the top of the slope
Other Word Forms
- unpoised adjective
Etymology
Origin of poised
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sometimes referred to as the second brain, it would continue to weave his writings together and, like all of Pollan’s work, seems poised to capture the zeitgeist just as research is emerging about it.
From Los Angeles Times
With healthy capacity expansion, higher efficiency and end-to-end logistics solutions, incumbent private players are poised to gain traffic share.
The novel’s title applies to Jody, too, who is similarly poised between boyhood and manhood until Flag’s death pushes him over his own state line.
That sums up how finely the takeover battle is poised heading into a crunch week.
From Barron's
Equity investors anticipate Nvidia earnings due Wednesday, with the chip maker’s release poised to drive investor sentiment around artificial intelligence.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
