steady

adjective \ ˈste-dē \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of steady

steadier; steadiest

1 a : 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

3 a : 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

—

steadily

play \ˈste-də-lē\ adverb

—

steadiness

play \ˈste-dē-nəs\ noun

See steady defined for English-language learners

See steady defined for kids

Examples of steady in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of steady from the Web

The observers reported hearing steady talk about the findings from the Sochi Games .

— Washington Post, "Olympic observers find skepticism over anti-doping program," 12 May 2018
But the jazz world has a tendency to leave even its best practitioners needing a steadier income.

— joe klopus, kansascity, "‘Lion King’ pays the bills, but pianist Chris Neville finds time for jazz too | The Kansas City Star," 11 May 2018
Republicans, by comparison, have been on a steady downward slide.

— john myers, latimes.com, "As Californians shed their political party labels, independent voters are close to outnumbering Republicans," 11 May 2018
Now, thanks to new regulations approved by the California Energy Commission Wednesday, the number of homes with solar panels will likely continue its steady climb.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "California Now Requires Solar Panels on Most New Homes," 11 May 2018
The story Winchester tells is one of steady, almost inexorably increasing complexity, and this can make the book's later sections heavier going for the lay reader.

— steve donoghue, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Perfectionists' manages to make precision engineering fascinating," 11 May 2018
In the 20-plus years since, McCarron has enjoyed a steady, successful career, with more than $17.5 million in earnings and nine PGA victories, six of which have come since joining the 50-and-over Champions Tour.

— steve reaven, chicagotribune.com, "PGA Tour Champions major coming to Exmoor, and defending champ Scott McCarron is ready," 10 May 2018
The dollar is up 3% against its peers in the last month, driven by evidence that the U.S. economy continues to expand at a steady pace, while growth in Europe and other regions moderates from last year’s levels.

— ira iosebashvili, WSJ, "Dollar Falls After Soft Inflation Data," 10 May 2018
Perry maintained a steady dose of offense as Briana Mattos tallied an RBI single in the sixth inning as insurance.

— aaron nicholson, azcentral, "Perry softball beats Pinnacle, forces elimination game," 10 May 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.

Origin and Etymology of steady

Middle English stedy, from stede

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

steady Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of steady

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

steady

verb

Definition of steady

steadied; steadying

transitive verb

: to make or keep steady

intransitive verb

: to become steady

—

steadier

noun

See steady defined for English-language learners

Examples of steady in a Sentence

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 of steady from the Web

Despite steadying Borussia Dortmund, there are still grumbles around his time in charge of the club and the 51-year-old is expected to leave at the end of the season.

— SI.com, "Borussia Dortmund vs Stuttgart Match Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News & More," 7 Apr. 2018
Trump’s supporters point to steadying forces around him, like Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and first daughter Ivanka Trump.

— philip elliott, Time, "President Trump Feels Good About White House Shake Ups. His Staffers Don't," 22 Mar. 2018
Collison won't be back until at least the end of this trip, and the Pacers miss is steadying hand.

— clifton brown, Indianapolis Star, "Pacers suffer another inexplicable loss," 28 Feb. 2018
The jewel of the Dodgers farm system steadied himself in the center of their ballpark.

— andy mccullough, latimes.com, "Walker Buehler throws heat at Miami in Dodgers' 2-1 win over Marlins," 24 Apr. 2018
Whether Castro becomes a steadying hand for his protege or overshadows him remains to be seen.

— mimi whitefield and nora gÁmez torres, miamiherald, "Cuba's new president is the first non-Castro in 42 years. How much power will he have? | Miami Herald," 19 Apr. 2018
After the engine explosion pitched the aircraft 41 degrees to the left, the plane's pilot Tammie Jo Shults and her co-pilot Darren Ellisor steadied the 737 and began a rapid emergency descent.

— CBS News, "Pilot who safely landed damaged Southwest flight was "there for a reason," friend says," 19 Apr. 2018
That doesn’t mean that Wade wasn't a steadying force in Saturday's first half amid the jitters of the Heat's playoff neophytes.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Winderman's view: Heat's reality is 76ers won trade/buyout deadline," 15 Apr. 2018
As Atlanta rebuilds, and with Dennis Schröder’s future unclear, adding a steadying presence to the backcourt makes sense.

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "2018 NBA Mock Draft 6.0: Projecting All 60 Picks After March Madness," 3 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of steady

1530

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

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steady

adverb

Definition of steady

1 : in a steady manner : steadily

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

See steady defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of steady from the Web

Among independents and Democrats, support for Trump testifying has held roughly steady compared with previous CNN polling on the topic.

— jennifer agiesta, CNN, "CNN Poll: Republicans shifting negative on Mueller's investigation," 10 May 2018
The defense stayed steady, until Saturday’s game in Boston — when shortstop Machado made two throwing errors and Valencia made a fielding error.

— eduardo a. encina, baltimoresun.com, "Bundy meets hard-luck fate again as Orioles lose third straight in Boston, 3-1," 15 Apr. 2018
Morning temperatures hold steady between about 30 and 34.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: A winter resurgence with some snow early Tuesday and maybe Friday," 29 Jan. 2018
Climb on top of him, hugging his hips, and rock him steady all night long.

— aurora tower, Cosmopolitan, "Your Complete Love, Work, & Life Horoscope for 2017," 10 Jan. 2017
Britain’s central bank lowered its growth forecasts for this and next year and held its benchmark interest rate steady at 0.25% on Thursday, a move that only two policy makers dissented against rather than the three some analysts expected.

— jon sindreu, WSJ, "Pound, Gilt Yields Slide as BOE Rate-Increase Expectations Ease," 3 Aug. 2017
At the same time, demand for zinc—a lightweight, rustproof metal favored in the car and construction industries among others—has remained steady, eating away at the excess inventory.

— david hodari, WSJ, "Zinc Is in the Pink, as Mine Supply Struggles to Meet Demand," 10 July 2017
The European Central Bank, which held the benchmark interest rate steady at a historic low of zero percent, provided a timetable on Thursday for rolling back purchases of government and corporate debt, a program known as quantitative easing.

— jack ewing, New York Times, "As European Central Bank Eases Emergency Measures, Risks May Lurk," 25 Oct. 2017
Some will do so by raising the tax rate, but even those lowering it or keeping it steady are charging more property taxes this year, because of the rise in property values.

— brittany wallman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Search your city: Broward cities' tax bills rising," 12 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of steady

circa 1605

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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steady

noun

Definition of steady

plural steadies

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

See steady defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of steady from the Web

Fed policy makers held their benchmark short-term interest rate steady in January, in a range between 1.25% and 1.5%, and signaled greater confidence that inflation would rise to their 2% target.

— harriet torry, WSJ, "Inflation Cooled in February," 13 Mar. 2018
Muguruza double faults on her opening point but steadies and wins the next the four.

— jamie lisanti, SI.com, "Live updates: Venus Williams takes on Garbine Muguruza in Wimbledon final," 15 July 2017
Officials voted unanimously to hold their benchmark rate steady in a range between 0.75% and 1%, after a two-day policy meeting Wednesday.

— nick timiraos, WSJ, "Fed Sees Growth Rebounding, Remains on Track for Two More Rate Rises in 2017," 3 May 2017
Officials voted unanimously to hold their benchmark rate steady in a range between 0.75% and 1%, after a two-day policy meeting.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: 10 storylines to follow as the House votes on health care," 4 May 2017
Following a two-day policy meeting, officials voted unanimously to hold their benchmark rate steady in a range between 0.50% and 0.75%, while noting in a statement some recent improvements in the economy, including an uptick in consumer confidence.

— david harrison, WSJ, "Fed Leaves Policy Rate Unchanged, Offers No Hint on When It Might Next Move," 1 Feb. 2017

First Known Use of steady

1792

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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STEADY Defined for English Language Learners

steady

verb

Definition of steady for English Language Learners

: to keep (something or someone) from moving, shaking, falling, etc.
: to cause (something) to stop changing, increasing, decreasing, etc.

steady

adverb

Definition of steady for English Language Learners

: in a steady way

steady

noun

Definition of steady for English Language Learners

: the only person you are having a romantic relationship with : the person you are going steady with

STEADY Defined for Kids

steady

adjective \ ˈste-dē \

Definition of steady for Students

steadier; steadiest

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

—

steadily

\ˈste-də-lē\ adverb

—

steadiness

\ˈste-dē-nəs\ noun

steady

verb

Definition of steady for Students

steadied; steadying

: 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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steady

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steadier

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steady

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steady

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steady

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