steer
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to guide the course of (something in motion) by a rudder, helm, wheel, etc..
to steer a bicycle.
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to follow or pursue (a particular course).
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to direct the course of; guide.
I can steer you to the best restaurant in town.
verb (used without object)
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to direct the course of a vessel, vehicle, airplane, or the like, by the use of a rudder or other means.
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to pursue a course of action.
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(of a vessel, vehicle, airplane, etc.) to be steered or guided in a particular direction or manner.
noun
idioms
noun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
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to direct the course of (a vehicle or vessel) with a steering wheel, rudder, etc
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(tr) to guide with tuition
his teachers steered him through his exams
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(tr) to direct the movements or course of (a person, conversation, etc)
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to pursue (a specified course)
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(intr) (of a vessel, vehicle, etc) to admit of being guided in a specified fashion
this boat does not steer properly
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to keep away from; shun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of steer1
First recorded before 900; Middle English steren, stere, stieren, Old English stēoran, stēran, stíoran, stýran, akin to stēor, stýr “steering, guidance”; cognate with German steuern, Old Norse stȳra, Gothic stiurjan
Origin of steer2
First recorded before 900; Middle English ster(e), Old English stēor “young bull or ox,” cognate with Dutch, German Stier, Old Norse stjōrr, Gothic stiur
Explanation
In defining steer, I would steer clear of complicated examples and just say: to steer is to control which direction one is going. Everyone who owns a car has learned to point his car in the right direction using the steering wheel. It's a bad idea to let your five year-old steer; you might end up in a sandbox. But the use of steer doesn't need to be limited to wheels and handle bars. If you have a friend torn between whether or not to go to college, you can help steer her towards the right decision. The President's job is "to steer the Ship of State."
Vocabulary lists containing steer
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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David Cameron's Words After the Brexit Vote
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 10
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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.
See Examples For:
Rob Loft, of Yor-Pest Control, said he tended to "steer clear" of shooting the birds but "in tricky places, for public health, it's got to be done".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
He thinks he can steer the struggling brand back into the limelight by giving it more attention and ideas than it has had in decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Adjusting these phases changes the angle at which the array releases light, making it possible to steer the beam without moving any physical components.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
CEO Satya Nadella recently made clear that the tech giant is seeking to steer the AI race away from a future dictated and controlled by frontier model-builders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
“You just steer clear, you hear me? I don’t want no more foolishness at that school.”
From "Finding Langston" by Lesa Cline-Ransome
She even calls the coma patient Bernie while she steers him into cars and onto planes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
He absolutely hates children, even as the whole plot, somewhat obviously, steers him in the opposite direction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
As it steers further north, the rain and stronger winds are more likely in Northern Ireland than Scotland.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Florida’s attorney general says he is examining whether CVS’s PBM steers patients to its own pharmacies.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
When I’d visited the plant earlier that spring I watched steers being unloaded from trailers into corrals.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
