poised
Americanadjective
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(of a person) composed, dignified, and self-assured.
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being in balance or equilibrium.
a ball poised on the nose of a seal.
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teetering or wavering.
to be poised on the brink of disaster.
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hovering or suspended in or as in midair.
a bird poised in flight; a helicopter poised overhead.
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readied or prepared to do something or for something to happen.
a singer poised to make sales history with a new album.
adjective
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self-possessed; dignified; exhibiting composure
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balanced and prepared for action
a skier poised at the top of the slope
Other Word Forms
- unpoised adjective
Etymology
Origin of poised
Explanation
If you're poised you're self-possessed and in full control of your faculties. You're balanced, grounded, and ready for action. A poised person exhibits composure and self-assuredness, which comes in handy, for instance, during a job interview, giving a public talk or debate, or playing sports. Watching the Olympics, you may wonder how gymnasts remain so poised when competing on the balance beam, considered the sport's most mentally and physically challenging event. Poised also means ready or on the verge: You can be poised for a leadership position, poised for battle, or poised to become music's next pop star.
Vocabulary lists containing poised
The Giver
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"Of Mice and Men"
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"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
Tousle-haired and clad in a checked shirt, Samay Raina half smiles on stage, as if a punchline is already poised at the edge of his lips.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Zaslav, one of the most richly compensated executives in America, is poised to receive as much as $887 million to depart the company once it is absorbed by David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Southern Co. is poised to join the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index after 24 consecutive years of dividend increases.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
If there is a silver lining, however, it is that aging Americans are poised to shift more money into Treasury bills and other kinds of U.S. government debt.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
If you believed the polls, it appeared that Barack was poised to win, but I also knew he’d been working on two possible speeches for the night ahead—one for a victory, another for a concession.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
