steady

[sted-ee]

See more synonyms for steady on Thesaurus.com

adjective, stead·i·er, stead·i·est.

firmly placed or fixed; stable in position or equilibrium: a steady ladder.
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.

constant, regular, or habitual: a steady job.
free from excitement or agitation; calm: steady nerves.
firm; unfaltering: 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, plural stead·ies.

Informal. a person of the opposite sex whom one dates exclusively; sweetheart; boyfriend or girlfriend.
Informal. a steady visitor, customer, or the like; habitué.

verb (used with object), stead·ied, stead·y·ing.

to make or keep steady, as in position, movement, action, character, etc.: His calm confidence steadied the nervous passengers.

verb (used without object), stead·ied, stead·y·ing.

to become steady.

adverb

in a firm or steady manner: Hold the ladder steady.
Informal. steadily, regularly, or continuously: Is she working steady now?

Idioms

go steady, Informal. to date one person exclusively: Her father didn't approve of her going steady at such an early age.

Origin of steady

1520–30; 1905–10 for def 12; stead + -y¹

Related formsstead·i·ly, adverbstead·i·ness, nouno·ver·stead·i·ly, adverbo·ver·stead·i·ness, nouno·ver·stead·y, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for steady on Thesaurus.com

1. balanced. 3. undeviating, invariable. 7. See steadfast.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for steady

Contemporary Examples

It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds.
From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?
Tom Sykes
January 5, 2015
Superintendent Smith, in fact, had fielded a steady stream of complaints about him that never resulted in any direct action.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor
S. C. Gwynne
November 29, 2014
Outside, a lone traffic policeman directs a steady stream of motorbikes.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014
Activating iPhones promised a lucrative, steady revenue stream for Synchronoss.
NSA Chief Bet Money on AT&T as It Spied on You
Shane Harris
November 4, 2014
For Reid, wealth accumulation has come from a steady diet of land deals and playing the market.
A Conservative Explains Why The GOP Could Lose
Bill Whalen
November 2, 2014

Historical Examples

His eyes, round and full and steady, taxed her with falsehood, with hypocrisy.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
She stopped the running and meditated with a steady, hard deliberation.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
Dozier kept Gray Peter at a steady pace, never varying his gait.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
In the next room the voices of the four were a steady, rumbling murmur.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
That sort o' trade, ye see, miss, the demand's not steady in it.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for steady

steady

adjective steadier or steadiest

not able to be moved or disturbed easily; stable
free from fluctuationthe level stayed steady
not easily excited; imperturbable
staid; sober
regular; habituala steady drinker
continuousa steady flow
nautical (of a vessel) keeping upright, as in heavy seas

verb steadies, steadying or steadied

to make or become steady

adverb

in a steady manner
go steady informal to date one person regularly

noun plural steadies

informal one's regular boyfriend or girlfriend

interjection

nautical an order to the helmsman to stay on a steady course
a warning to keep calm, be careful, etc
British a command to get set to start, as in a raceready, steady, go!

Derived Formssteadier, nounsteadily, adverbsteadiness, noun

Word Origin

C16: from stead + -y 1; related to Old High German stātīg, Middle Dutch stēdig

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for steady

adj.

1520s (replacing earlier steadfast), from stead + adjectival suffix -y (2), perhaps on model of Middle Dutch, Middle Low German stadig. Old English had stæððig "grave, serious," and stedig "barren," but neither seems to be the direct source of the modern word. Old Norse cognate stoðugr "steady, stable" was closer in sense.

Originally of things; of persons or minds from c.1600. Meaning "working at an even rate" is first recorded in 1540s. Steady progress is etymologically a contradiction in terms. Steady state first attested 1885; as a cosmological theory (propounded by Bondi, Gold, and Hoyle), it is attested from 1948.

v.

1520s, from steady (adj.). Related: Steadied; steadying.

n.

"one's boyfriend or girlfriend," 1897 from steady (adj.); to go steady is 1905 in teenager slang.

Idioms and Phrases with steady

steady

In addition to the idiom beginning with steady

steady as a rock

also see:

go steady
slow but sure (steady wins the race)

steady

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Synonyms

Examples from the Web for steady

Contemporary Examples

It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds.

Superintendent Smith, in fact, had fielded a steady stream of complaints about him that never resulted in any direct action.

Outside, a lone traffic policeman directs a steady stream of motorbikes.

Activating iPhones promised a lucrative, steady revenue stream for Synchronoss.

For Reid, wealth accumulation has come from a steady diet of land deals and playing the market.

Historical Examples

His eyes, round and full and steady, taxed her with falsehood, with hypocrisy.

She stopped the running and meditated with a steady, hard deliberation.

Dozier kept Gray Peter at a steady pace, never varying his gait.

In the next room the voices of the four were a steady, rumbling murmur.

That sort o' trade, ye see, miss, the demand's not steady in it.

steady

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for steady

adj.

v.

n.

Idioms and Phrases with steady

steady

Origin of steady