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

Watching them recover steadily fascinated a young McKechnie.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“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

The road ended, but the living systems it crossed moved steadily onward, already turning toward the next season.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Enrollment in the privately-run plans has steadily grown to surpass enrollment in traditional Medicare plans operated by the government.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Jack and Phillip both looked at her, trying subtly to make the point that maybe such a comment wasn’t the most appropriate reaction for such a significant moment, but she steadily ignored their questioning glances.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• regularly