steadily

American  

[sted-i-lee] / ˈstɛd ɪ li /

adverb

1. in a way that moves constantly and at an even pace or in the same direction.

   My dedication and commitment to teaching are proven by my steadily increasing student evaluation scores.

   Despite numerous legislative attempts to constrain spending over the past 40 years, the deficit problem has marched steadily on.

2. in a continuous, uniform way.

   It rained steadily all day yesterday and by evening the river was almost overflowing.

3. in a calm, fixed, or unwavering way.

   He just stood there, holding his ground and gazing steadily at her, into those dark eyes.

4. in a firm, stable way.

   Binoculars with larger magnification tend to be overly bulky and difficult to hold steadily.

5. in a determined, persevering, or resolute way.

   She told him, “Seek peace of mind and hold steadily to your faith.”

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Other Word Forms

• oversteadily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of steadily

steady ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Something that happens steadily occurs at a predictable, reliable, unchanging pace. If it keeps raining for hours, it's been raining steadily. If you stand outside without an umbrella, you will steadily get drenched. Anything that keeps happening at a regular clip is happening steadily. A politician who campaigns every day for months has been campaigning steadily. If you write an hour a day on a novel, the novel is growing steadily. The opposite of steadily is unsteadily, which would describe something that happens in an irregular, shaky, or unpredictable way. Anything done steadily goes on and on.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

steadily

Research suggests the froyo market is steadily growing.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Tracking predictions for the film’s debut have steadily trended downward and settled between $15 million and $19 million.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

After steadily rising over the past five years from their pandemic-era lows, Treasurys with maturities of five years and longer have passed 5% in the past few weeks.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Although overall revenue in China has steadily declined over the last two years, dropping 12% in the most recent quarter, Sparks sees green shoots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Pong was surprised at how steadily he walked as he wove through the crowds along the canal.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Related Words

• regularly