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.
Turnquist pointed to Taiwan and South Korea as key markets poised to benefit from AI.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
The Hammers were poised to terminate the contract of ex-England striker Callum Wilson, 34, before he scored a late winner against Tottenham in January.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
And artificial intelligence, which is poised to reshape the U.S. economy, is built on decades of government support for computer science, from Darpa and other agencies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
The U.S. and Iran are poised for negotiation talks in Pakistan this week as the two-week cease-fire nears an end.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
The mantelpiece held, in brave confusion, photographs, greeting cards, flowered mottoes, two silver candlesticks that held no candles, and a green metal serpent, poised to strike.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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.
