steady

adjective

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\ ˈste-dē

steadier; steadiest

Definition of steady

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : direct or sure in movement : unfaltering a steady hand

b : firm in position : fixed held the pole steady

c : keeping nearly upright in a seaway a steady ship

2 : showing little variation or fluctuation : stable, uniform a steady breeze steady prices

3a : not easily disturbed or upset steady nerves

b(1) : constant in feeling, principle, purpose, or attachment steady friends

(2) : dependable

c : not given to dissipation : sober

steady

verb

steadied; steadying

Definition of steady (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

: to make or keep steady

intransitive verb

: to become steady

steady

adverb

Definition of steady (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : in a steady manner : steadily

2 : on the course set —used as a direction to the helmsman of a ship

steady

noun

plural steadies

Definition of steady (Entry 4 of 4)

: one that is steady specifically : a boyfriend or girlfriend with whom one goes steady

Other Words from steady Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about steady

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Other Words from steady

Adjective

steadily \ ˈste-də-lē

\ adverb

steadiness \ ˈste-dē-nəs

\ noun

Verb

steadier noun

Choose the Right Synonym for steady

Adjective

steady, even, equable mean not varying throughout a course or extent. steady implies lack of fluctuation or interruption of movement. steady progress even suggests a lack of variation in quality or character. an even distribution equable implies lack of extremes or of sudden sharp changes. maintain an equable temper

Examples of steady in a Sentence

Adjective She used a tripod to keep the camera steady. Painting takes a steady hand and a good eye. Prices have remained steady over the last month. He finally has a steady job. They do a steady business at the restaurant. There has been a steady increase in prices. I am making steady progress on refinishing the basement. There was a steady rain all day. We've received a steady stream of donations. Verb He steadied the gun and fired. She used a tripod to steady the camera. The doctor gave her medication to help steady her heart rate. Her heart rate had been erratic but eventually steadied. Prices have steadied in recent months.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Carroll Hospital had 27 patients positive for COVID-19 through March 27, according to the Carroll County Health Department, continuing a steady rise. — Bob Blubaugh, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Cases of COVID-19 in Carroll County Public Schools up 30% in a week, number with symptoms also climbing," 31 Mar. 2021 Walensky said new cases were stagnating, but there has been a steady rise, now between 60,000 and 70,000 new infections per day, over the last week, which could lead to a larger spike. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, "CDC director Rochelle Walensky warns of "impending doom" amid COVID-19 spikes," 30 Mar. 2021 The same will be true throughout the state, with officials anticipating a steady rise in vaccine supply. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diegans 50 and up eligible for vaccine starting April 1, and those 16 and up by April 15," 25 Mar. 2021 Most are placed in border patrol custody, which has been largely overwhelmed by the steady rise in arrivals. — Editors, USA TODAY, "Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend," 22 Mar. 2021 With a steady rise in population since then, human-bear conflicts have increased—leading many to feel that criticism against Haaland for her past views on this is warranted. — Matthew Every, Field & Stream, "What Deb Haaland’s Confirmation as Interior Secretary Means for Hunters and Anglers," 15 Mar. 2021 The steady rise in the rates of travel, dining, and other activities outside of the home signals a broad change in people’s behavior about social distancing regardless of their vaccination status. — Cassidy Morrison, Washington Examiner, "Public return to normal life outpacing federal guidance," 10 Mar. 2021 Since launching his fashion house in 2012, Omar Salam has seen a steady rise in his career. — Nandi Howard, Essence, "Real Fashion Confessionals With Fashion Designer Omar Salam," 4 Mar. 2021 Take a look at any of the 20-year price charts for corn, soy and other crops – all show a steady rise in demand, as well as production, coming off a six-year run of low prices. — Michael Helmstetter, Forbes, "Positive Ag Cycle Brings Cash. Can It Also Bring New Social Impact To Ag Tech?," 3 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Setting aside time in the morning to identify what the day will look like and what work should be completed, or time in the evening to reflect and plan for the next day, can steady your child’s nerves. — Washington Post, "How to help kids adapt to the chaos that is hybrid learning," 12 Feb. 2021 But the recent scandals that have ensnared Cuomo put the one-time possible presidential frontrunner in a desperate situation to try to steady his administration. — Fox News, "De Blasio pounces on Cuomo scandals: 'He cannot govern' if claims are true," 3 Mar. 2021 The Flyers counted on a return home to steady the team after they were humbled in a 7-3 loss to the Bruins and had dropped four of five overall. — Dan Gelston, Star Tribune, "Giroux, Flyers top Rangers 4-3 despite Kreider hat trick," 24 Feb. 2021 Plusquellic was top dog in Akron and worked to steady the city in big and small ways. — Mary Kilpatrick, cleveland, "2015, OSU wins championship, Kasich launches presidential run: Biggest stories of the 2010s," 22 Dec. 2019 But people who were able to build resiliency—who learned how to give themselves real breaks, regulate their emotions, steady themselves through the lows of COVID—are doing better across the board. — Jenny Singer, Glamour, "‘Pandemic Brain’ Is Real—And It Explains Why You Can’t Focus," 10 Mar. 2021 The Trojans won’t have much time to steady themselves for a bounce back either. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, "USC beaten on the boards as seven-game win streak ends with loss to Arizona," 20 Feb. 2021 And before people have had a good chance to steady themselves, more snow could be on its way to add to the slick conditions that have made even short trips from home treacherous, according to the National Weather Service. — Jesus Jimenez, Dallas News, "One down, one to go: Another winter storm could dump 5 more inches of snow on Dallas-Fort Worth," 15 Feb. 2021 Algevon Eichelberger, a 6-8 senior, and 6-8 junior Chris Green combined for 11 points, five rebounds and a block in 17 minutes, helpikng to steady CSU after the early struggles. — cleveland, "Cleveland State overcomes abysmal start, maintains share of first in Horizon League with 71-64 win over Detroit Mercy," 14 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb Will colleges struggling to hold their enrollments steady become even less selective? — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, "New Data: Applications Surge At Larger, Selective Colleges," 10 Mar. 2021 Then in his early 20s, Beasley had already landed a touring gig as part of Sergio Méndes’ band but was trying to work his way into steady-paying studio sessions. — Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times, "On Sunday, a local jazz polymath could have a Grammys for the ages," 9 Mar. 2021 Staying steady through waves of uncertainty is kind of her superpower. — Macaela Mackenzie, Glamour, "For Glennon Doyle, Self-Care Is Not Wearing Makeup—Or Pants," 27 May 2020 However, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index held steady, gaining 1.9% by midday Monday. — Elaine Kurtenbach, USA TODAY, "Asian shares, US futures sink as virus crisis deepens," 23 Mar. 2020 The central bank for the euro system kept its main interest rate steady at -0.5% on March 12 while boosting asset purchases by €120 billion. — John Detrixhe, Quartz, "The clock is ticking for the government bailouts to begin," 17 Mar. 2020 Meanwhile, digital increased 12.3% to $73 million from $65 million, synchronization rose by 24.14% to $36 million from $29 million, and other revenue held steady at $3 million. — Marc Schneider, Billboard, "Warner Music Group Tops $1.25 Billion for the Quarter as Streaming Jumps 17%," 31 Jan. 2020 Annual growth held steady at 2% over a year earlier. — Washington Post, "Asian stocks sink after Trump impeachment vote," 19 Dec. 2019 That report found the state has not experienced an increase in marijuana use among young people, and the number of citations for marijuana-only impairment stayed steady between 2014 to 2017. — Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, "Weld County launches “marijuana is not harmless” campaign. But how accurate are its numbers?," 26 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Keeping the price steady could help in an economy that's still dealing with the ongoing pandemic, but Xbox's strategy is less focused on selling new hardware than Sony's (SNE). — Shannon Liao, CNN, "The Xbox Series X will cost $499," 9 Sep. 2020 Officials voted to hold their benchmark rate steady in a range between 1.5% and 1.75% at the meeting after cutting it by a quarter percentage point at each of its previous three meetings. — Nick Timiraos, WSJ, "Fed Minutes to Shed Light on Interest Rate Consensus," 3 Jan. 2020 As slack vanishes, job growth slows, the employment rate reaches full-employment levels, and wage growth steadies at rates consistent with productivity growth. — Edward P. Lazear, WSJ, "The Recovery Is Reaching Its End," 18 June 2019 Production eventually steadies, but at much lower levels. — Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, "Drilling, dollars & debt: Colorado’s oil and gas industry is leveraged to the hilt. What does that mean for the future?," 10 Nov. 2019 Opening the annual session of China’s legislature on Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang laid out plans to fend off risks in the economy and keep the nation’s jobless rate steady. — Lingling Wei, WSJ, "China Expects 2019 Economic Growth of 6% to 6.5%," 4 Mar. 2019 The break-even rate refers to the amount of monthly payroll gains needed to keep the jobless rate steady. — Michael S. Derby, WSJ, "Derby’s Take: Ready For 3% Unemployment? Goldman Sachs Says It’s Possible," 14 Nov. 2018 Employers have added more than 200,000 jobs a month this year, well above the level Fed officials think is needed to hold the jobless rate steady. — Nick Timiraos, WSJ, "Jobs Report Keeps Fed’s June Rate Increase on Track," 1 June 2018 The Bank of Canada held its benchmark rate steady last week at 1.25%, and signaled rates could climb soon despite worries over trade uncertainty. — Paul Vieira, WSJ, "Canada Growth at Risk Due to Heightened Trade Anxiety: IMF," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steady.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of steady

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adverb

circa 1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1792, in the meaning defined above

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Last Updated

8 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Steady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steady. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for steady

steady

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of steady

(Entry 1 of 4)

: not shaking or moving : held firmly in one place or position

: not increasing or decreasing

: lasting or continuing for a long period of time in a dependable way

steady

verb

English Language Learners Definition of steady (Entry 2 of 4)

: to keep (something or someone) from moving, shaking, falling, etc.

: to cause (something) to stop changing, increasing, decreasing, etc.

steady

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of steady (Entry 3 of 4)

: in a steady way

steady

noun

English Language Learners Definition of steady (Entry 4 of 4)

US, informal + old-fashioned : the only person you are having a romantic relationship with : the person you are going steady with

See the full definition for steady in the English Language Learners Dictionary

steady

adjective

\ ˈste-dē

steadier; steadiest

Kids Definition of steady

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : firmly fixed in position Make sure the ladder is steady.

2 : direct or sure in action She worked with steady hands. I took steady aim.

3 : showing little change a steady flow of water I found a steady job.

4 : not easily upset steady nerves

5 : reliable a steady worker

Other Words from steady

steadily \ ˈste-də-lē \ adverb

steadiness \ ˈste-dē-nəs \ noun

steady

verb

steadied; steadying

Kids Definition of steady (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make, keep, or become steady He put on some music to steady his nerves. I put the stepladder next to the cart and steadied it with one hand …— Jack Gantos, Joey Pigza Loses Control

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