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steadier; steadiest
steadied; steadying
: to make or keep steady
: to become steady
steadier
noun
plural steadies
: one that is steady
specifically
: a boyfriend or girlfriend with whom one goes steady
Synonyms
Example Sentences
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Aaron Pressman, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Jan. 2023
After sunset, expect lighter showers and winds along with a slow and steady decline in urban flooding on roadways.
—Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Dec. 2022
Your year starts off slow and steady, similar to the last few months of 2022 as your ruling planet, Mars, is still retrograde when January begins.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2022
Concerns are rising in Kyiv that Russia is preparing to launch a new offensive against Ukraine from Belarus amid a spate of high level visits and a slow but steady buildup of Russian troops and military equipment.
—Liz Sly, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2022
The slow and steady real estate markets in these areas where homes continue to be affordable will be the stars in 2023, better weathering the affordability challenges that loom ahead.
—Brenda Richardson, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
The global cinema box office continues its slow but steady rise out of the COVID pandemic.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Dec. 2022
Officials are now nudging borrowing costs up more gradually, giving them time to see how their policies are affecting the economy and how much more is needed to ensure that inflation returns to a slow and steady pace.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2022
In an era of quick meals, takeout food and cheap eats, Wolf’s slow-and-steady approach to classic, quality dishes like matzo ball soup and pastrami on rye shaped The Bagel into an uncompromising institution of Jewish comfort fare.
—Max Abrams, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
Dallas News, 1 Mar. 2022
The former football star will try to steady his campaign against U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock on Thursday with a rally at a lumber yard in the east Georgia town of Wadley, not far from his birthplace of Wrightsville.
—al, 6 Oct. 2022
Bassitt spent just one year as a Met, making 30 starts and pitching a career-best 181⅔ innings to steady a rotation in which former Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom both missed significant time with injury.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2022
Martin and Short felt like veteran substitute teachers called in to steady a school where most of the experienced faculty had left.
—Amanda Wicks, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2022
Beijing seems to hope that its largest public-works stimulus since 2009 will steady the ship.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 15 Aug. 2022
At kicker, Reichard returns for his senior season and is once again on the Groza Award radar, while Burnip could continue to steady a punter position that had been in flux before his arrival.
—Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, 1 Aug. 2022
After attempting to steady the vehicle, police said the tractor-trailer driver then jackknifed across all lanes of I-675 northbound, causing traffic to come to a stop.
—Mary Helene Hall, ajc, 8 July 2022
Kelly credited veteran leaders such as quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, wide receiver Jake Bobo, and safeties Stephan Blaylock and Mo Osling III with creating positive energy to steady the team.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 22 Dec. 2022
Slow and steady won the race to Reba McEntire's heart.
—Brianne Tracy, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2022
The pivot came amid strong messages from Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to public universities to hold college tuition steady this year to ease the impact of inflation on Virginia families.
—Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2022
Despite the slowing of sales in June, Norton said second quarter sales held steady compared to last year due to strong sales at the beginning of the quarter.
—Scott Turner | Sturner@al.com, al, 26 July 2022
The system worked great in busy traffic, staying steady around corners at 75 mph and smoothly changing lanes on its own.
—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 10 May 2022
Jensen’s Schoenstein thinks that’s unlikely for steady-growing Microsoft.
—Anne Sraders, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2021
Like a steady-flowing river, WANs deliver continuous service, even during peak hours.
—David Joosten, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2021
Zucchini also contains magnesium, another important mineral that helps keep heart rhythm steady.
—Stefani Sassos, Ms, Rdn, Cso, Good Housekeeping, 28 Apr. 2021
Christopher P. Baker, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2022
Lue has had the steady of hand of starting point guard Reggie Jackson to help steer the Clippers along with center Ivica Zubac.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2022
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, 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, 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, 18 June 2019
Production eventually steadies, but at much lower levels.
—Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 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, 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, 14 Nov. 2018
See More
Adjective
While some faster-growing software companies have seen business slip amid rising inflation and higher interest rates, PTC has continued to report slow and steady growth with improving cash flow.
—Aaron Pressman, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Jan. 2023
After sunset, expect lighter showers and winds along with a slow and steady decline in urban flooding on roadways.
—Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Dec. 2022
Your year starts off slow and steady, similar to the last few months of 2022 as your ruling planet, Mars, is still retrograde when January begins.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2022
Concerns are rising in Kyiv that Russia is preparing to launch a new offensive against Ukraine from Belarus amid a spate of high level visits and a slow but steady buildup of Russian troops and military equipment.
—Liz Sly, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2022
The slow and steady real estate markets in these areas where homes continue to be affordable will be the stars in 2023, better weathering the affordability challenges that loom ahead.
—Brenda Richardson, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
The global cinema box office continues its slow but steady rise out of the COVID pandemic.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Dec. 2022
Officials are now nudging borrowing costs up more gradually, giving them time to see how their policies are affecting the economy and how much more is needed to ensure that inflation returns to a slow and steady pace.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2022
In an era of quick meals, takeout food and cheap eats, Wolf’s slow-and-steady approach to classic, quality dishes like matzo ball soup and pastrami on rye shaped The Bagel into an uncompromising institution of Jewish comfort fare.
—Max Abrams, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
Verb
Doncic finished the game with 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal in 38 minutes, while Jalen Brunson (22 points) and Dorian Finney-Smith (16 points, nine rebounds) helped steady the starting lineup.
—Dallas News, 1 Mar. 2022
The former football star will try to steady his campaign against U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock on Thursday with a rally at a lumber yard in the east Georgia town of Wadley, not far from his birthplace of Wrightsville.
—al, 6 Oct. 2022
Bassitt spent just one year as a Met, making 30 starts and pitching a career-best 181⅔ innings to steady a rotation in which former Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom both missed significant time with injury.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2022
Martin and Short felt like veteran substitute teachers called in to steady a school where most of the experienced faculty had left.
—Amanda Wicks, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2022
Beijing seems to hope that its largest public-works stimulus since 2009 will steady the ship.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 15 Aug. 2022
At kicker, Reichard returns for his senior season and is once again on the Groza Award radar, while Burnip could continue to steady a punter position that had been in flux before his arrival.
—Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, 1 Aug. 2022
After attempting to steady the vehicle, police said the tractor-trailer driver then jackknifed across all lanes of I-675 northbound, causing traffic to come to a stop.
—Mary Helene Hall, ajc, 8 July 2022
Kelly credited veteran leaders such as quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, wide receiver Jake Bobo, and safeties Stephan Blaylock and Mo Osling III with creating positive energy to steady the team.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
Adverb
There are a few different ways to measure Americans’ steady turn against the death penalty.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 22 Dec. 2022
Slow and steady won the race to Reba McEntire's heart.
—Brianne Tracy, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2022
The pivot came amid strong messages from Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to public universities to hold college tuition steady this year to ease the impact of inflation on Virginia families.
—Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2022
Despite the slowing of sales in June, Norton said second quarter sales held steady compared to last year due to strong sales at the beginning of the quarter.
—Scott Turner | Sturner@al.com, al, 26 July 2022
The system worked great in busy traffic, staying steady around corners at 75 mph and smoothly changing lanes on its own.
—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 10 May 2022
Jensen’s Schoenstein thinks that’s unlikely for steady-growing Microsoft.
—Anne Sraders, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2021
Like a steady-flowing river, WANs deliver continuous service, even during peak hours.
—David Joosten, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2021
Zucchini also contains magnesium, another important mineral that helps keep heart rhythm steady.
—Stefani Sassos, Ms, Rdn, Cso, Good Housekeeping, 28 Apr. 2021
Noun
But the Scenic Eclipse's cutting-edge oversize stabilizers held her steady.
—Christopher P. Baker, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2022
Lue has had the steady of hand of starting point guard Reggie Jackson to help steer the Clippers along with center Ivica Zubac.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2022
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, 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, 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, 18 June 2019
Production eventually steadies, but at much lower levels.
—Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 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, 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, 14 Nov. 2018
See More
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.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English stedy, from stede
First Known Use
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of steady was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing steady
Dictionary Entries Near steady
Cite this Entry
“Steady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steady. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.
Kids Definition
steady
1 of 4 adjective
steadier; steadiest
3
a
: not easily moved or upset : resolute
b
: constant in feeling, principle, purpose, or attachment : dependable
steady
2 of 4 verb
steadied; steadying
: to make, keep, or become steady
steady
3 of 4 adverb
: in a steady manner : steadily
steady
4 of 4 noun
plural steadies
: one that is steady
especially
: a boyfriend or girlfriend with whom one goes steady
More from Merriam-Webster on steady
Nglish: Translation of steady for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of steady for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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