steady

1 of 4

adjective

ˈste-dē 

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

ˈste-də-lē 

adverb

steadiness

ˈste-dē-nəs 

noun

steady

2 of 4

verb

steadied; steadying

transitive verb

: to make or keep steady

intransitive verb

: to become steady

steadier noun

steady

3 of 4

adverb

1

: in a steady manner : steadily

2

: on the course set

—used as a direction to the helmsman of a ship

steady

4 of 4

noun

plural steadies

: one that is steady

specifically : a boyfriend or girlfriend with whom one goes steady

Synonyms

Adjective

• constant
• dedicated
• devoted
• devout
• down-the-line
• faithful
• fast
• good
• loyal
• pious
• staunch
• stanch
• steadfast
• true
• true-blue

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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

The boost, though small, held the vacancy rate steady at 13.1% year over year, NAI reported, with 20.6 million vacant square feet of office space in the county. —Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024

South Korea, which raised interest rates before the U.S. central bank, has so far kept its rates steady even as businesses struggle with high borrowing costs. —Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 25 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing steady

• go steady
• ready, steady, go
• steady as a rock
• steady on
• steady oneself
• steady one's/someone's nerves
• steady paycheck
• steady state
• steady state theory

Kids Definition

steady

1 of 4 adjective

ˈsted-ē 

steadier; steadiest

1

a

: firm in position : fixed

b

: direct or sure in movement

took steady aim

2

a

: regular entry 1 sense 3, uniform

a steady pace

b

: not changing much : stable

steady prices

3

a

: not easily moved or upset : resolute

b

: constant in feeling, principle, purpose, or attachment : dependable

steadily

ˈsted-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

steadiness

ˈsted-ē-nəs 

noun

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