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

“The rate of unruly-passenger incidents steadily dropped by over 80% since record highs in early 2021, but recent increases show there remains more work to do,” the FAA says on its website.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Significantly, the science that makes it possible to attribute how much any one disaster was influenced by climate change has steadily advanced.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

“We have steadily expanded our business by co-creating value with our customers,” Ajinomoto said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The fluid moved slowly and steadily, unlike blood, which flows quickly and dynamically.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

They were making their way steadily eastward through the razorbacks that formed South Georgia’s spine.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• regularly