steady
Americanadjective
-
steadier,
comparative
-
steadiest
superlative
-
firmly placed or fixed; stable in position or equilibrium.
a steady ladder.
- Synonyms:
- firm
-
even or regular in movement.
the steady swing of the pendulum.
-
free from change, variation, or interruption; uniform; continuous.
a steady diet of meat and potatoes;
a steady wind.
- Synonyms:
- invariable
-
constant, regular, or habitual.
a steady job.
-
free from excitement or agitation; calm.
steady nerves.
-
unfaltering; firm.
a steady gaze;
a steady hand.
-
steadfast or unwavering; resolute.
a steady purpose.
-
settled, staid, or sober, as a person, habits, etc.
-
Nautical. (of a vessel) keeping nearly upright, as in a heavy sea.
interjection
-
(used to urge someone to calm down or be under control.)
-
Nautical. (a helm order to keep a vessel steady on its present heading.)
noun
-
steadies
plural
-
Informal. a person whom one dates exclusively; sweetheart.
-
Informal. a steady visitor, customer, or the like; habitué.
verb (used with object)
-
steadies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
steadied,
past participle, past
-
steadying
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
steadies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
steadied,
past participle, past
-
steadying
present participle
adverb
-
in a firm or steady manner.
Hold the ladder steady.
-
Informal. steadily, regularly, or continuously.
Is she working steady now?
idioms
adjective
-
not able to be moved or disturbed easily; stable
-
free from fluctuation
the level stayed steady
-
not easily excited; imperturbable
-
staid; sober
-
regular; habitual
a steady drinker
-
continuous
a steady flow
-
nautical (of a vessel) keeping upright, as in heavy seas
verb
adverb
-
in a steady manner
-
informal to date one person regularly
noun
interjection
-
nautical an order to the helmsman to stay on a steady course
-
a warning to keep calm, be careful, etc
-
a command to get set to start, as in a race
ready, steady, go!
Synonym Usage
See steadfast.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
steadysimple
-
steadiessimple
-
have steadiedperfect
-
has steadiedperfect
-
am steadyingprogressive
-
are steadyingprogressive
-
is steadyingprogressive
-
have been steadyingperfect progressive
-
has been steadyingperfect progressive
Past
-
steadiedsimple
-
had steadiedperfect
-
was steadyingprogressive
-
were steadyingprogressive
-
had been steadyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of steady
First recorded in 1520–30; 1905–10 steady for def. 12; stead + -y 1
Explanation
The adjective steady describes something that is firmly fixed in position. If you have to climb up on your roof, you definitely want to have a steady ladder. Otherwise, you risk ending up in the bushes instead of on the roof. The adjective steady can also describe something that isn't going to fluctuate wildly. If you have a steady income from a salary, you bring in approximately the same amount of money each month. If you are paid on commission, on the other hand, you may make Midas look poor in some months and beggars look rich in others. As a verb, to steady means "to make something steady" (big surprise): You can steady a wobbly table by sticking a matchbook under its shortest leg, or you could steady a nervous dog with a reassuring pat.
Vocabulary lists containing steady
"O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman
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"The Drummer Boy of Shiloh"
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Purple Hibiscus
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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.
See Examples For:
If you were choosing a personal-financial planner, you’d want someone with decades’ worth of judgment and intuition—a pro with a steady demeanor that comes from having seen it all before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The report reinforces the notion that employment levels have been holding steady in a low-hire, low-fire environment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Rabid bat detections can vary year-to-year, but Los Angeles County has seen a steady upward trend for more than a decade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Over the tannoy came news of steady stream of delays.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
She fixed him with a steady, un-embarrassed gaze.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
That is what steadies me and breaks me in the same breath, that a land this rich in what it gives, in shade and figs and refuge and myth, keeps burning while the world half-watches.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
A fair-haired boy is preparing to climb a tree branch, as his brother steadies it.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
In the foreground, the midwife, known from Byzantine tradition as Salome, meets Joseph’s eyes as she steadies the water he pours into the baby’s bathtub.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
She steadies herself, with one hand grasping the back of an elaborate carved and upholstered chair at the left, while a tabletop clock at the rear on the opposite side ticks away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024
She steadies herself against the whorled bird’s-eye maple console table in our foyer, my parents’ first flea market find as a couple, years before they had me.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
If tighter monetary policy produces an orderly bond market, steadier inflation expectations and renewed confidence in the Fed’s ability to control prices, gold could struggle.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Then cinematographers Evan Draper and Jazleana Jones along with Ullom, who also edits, take a steadier hand with evocative montages that emphasize the passage of time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
"I sincerely hope he proves those concerns unfounded, because the Intelligence Community deserves steadier leadership than it has received in recent months," Warner said in his statement.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Apple has shown a steadier upward trajectory, driven by investor confidence that its dominant consumer position can solve most problems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Or better than both: for they are steadier and keep their minds on things longer.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Among lower-yielding currencies, the team sees CNY as the steadiest, KRW as the highest-beta currency, and SGD as a funder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
"My friends are the loves of my life and so it feels right to be championing platonic friendship that can be some of the strongest and steadiest love in your life," Hinds says.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2024
“I can tell you the house is the coolest it’s ever been and the heating is the steadiest we’ve ever had since we’ve been living here. We are very happy,” Roberts said.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
The payments for publishing these notices are among the steadiest sources of revenue left for local papers.
From New York Times ● Jun. 18, 2023
Early in December, in the course of a single afternoon, two of the cafe’s steadiest customers announced plans to pack up and leave not merely Finney County but the state.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
The selloff in global government bonds took a breather and U.S. stocks rose as market sentiment steadied at the end of a turbulent week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
O'Neill steadied the Celtic ship twice last term following the departures of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Stocks rose and bonds steadied after Friday’s warm CPI report took ‘a lot of the guesswork’ out of next week’s Fed decision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Yields on global government bonds steadied while the dollar traded near three-month lows in early European trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Joaquin was standing behind them, almost like protection, and Grace steadied herself and reached out to the tarnished brass knocker shaped like a lion.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
He claimed sometimes he had touched their shoulders as he was "steadying himself" due to being unsteady on his feet because of his condition.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Then, it’s time to talk about the “crack spread”—aka the reason we aren’t seeing relief at the gas stations despite steadying oil prices.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2026
By Sunday, it becomes something quieter: nourishment for the week ahead, a small, steadying balm against the Sunday scaries.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026
The index for employment fell into negative territory for the first time since June, but points to steadying employment, the survey said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
My husband ploughed it, steadying the plough behind the two bullocks while I came behind, strewing the seed to either side and sprinkling the earth over from the basket at my hip.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
