What does "steady" mean?
A rest or support, as for the hand, a tool, or a piece of work.
Steady
/ˈstɛdi/ adj, adv, intj, noun, particle, verb, slang
adj, adv, intj, noun, particle, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A rest or support, as for the hand, a tool, or a piece of work.
- Grammar: steady is listed as adj, adv, intj, noun, particle, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: firm, steadfast, abiding, accordant.
- Useful contrasts: unsteady, abrupt, abrupt change.
- Usage evidence: Steady the boat so we can get on safely.
How to use "steady"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "steady" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "steady" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "steady" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "steady" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "steady" is acting as adj, adv, intj, noun, particle, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "firm" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "steady", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A rest or support, as for the hand, a tool, or a piece of work.
- 2 a person loved by another person wordnet
- 3 A regular boyfriend or girlfriend. informal
"“Dalton is my steady, now. If I break up with him, you're the first on the list.” “Thanks,” said Ted. “What a privilege to be second choice.”"
- 4 A prostitute's regular customer. informal
"Some of my steadies wanted me to go out with them on a date. Occasionally I let one of them take me to a film or out for a meal."
Verb
- 1 To stabilize; to prevent from shaking. figuratively, sometimes, transitive
"I took a drink to steady my nerves."
- 2 make steady wordnet
- 3 To become stable. intransitive
"The ship steadied in the air. Another spray of ballast came, heavier than the last."
- 4 support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm.
"Hold the ladder steady while I go up."
- 2 Constant in feeling, purpose, or pursuit; not fickle, changeable, or wavering; not easily moved or persuaded to alter a purpose; resolute.
"a man steady in his principles, in his purpose, or in the pursuit of an object"
- 3 Smooth and not bumpy or with obstructions.
"a steady ride"
- 4 Phlegmatic, calm; not easily upset, excited, or disturbed.
"a steady tone of voice"
- 5 Regular and even.
"the steady course of the Sun; a steady breeze of wind"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Slow.
- 7 With whom one is going steady. dated, informal
"I have been trying to remember what other porn movies I've seen. I know that I should be able to recall many a title as, When I was eighteen, my steady girlfriend and I would go to drive-in theatres and half-watch them all the time."
- 8 Confident and cool-headed under pressure; competent; reliable, adept. Singapore, Singlish, predicative
"You get it right too many times. Your viewers must think you're damn solid, right? Get so many right on TV, steady lah, ang moh, they say, right? Fame gone to your head, is it?"
Adjective
- 1 not easily excited or upset wordnet
- 2 relating to a person who does something regularly wordnet
- 3 marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable wordnet
- 4 securely in position; not shaky wordnet
- 5 not liable to fluctuate or especially to fall wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 not subject to change or variation especially in behavior wordnet
Adverb
- 1 To row with pressure at a low stroke-rating, often 18 strokes per minute. informal, not-comparable
"After the sprint pieces, we rowed steady for the rest of practice."
Adverb
- 1 in a steady manner wordnet
Particle
- 1 Aspect marker indicating consistency or intensity.
Intj
- 1 Alright!, way to go!, nice! Singlish
Example
"Steady the boat so we can get on safely."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "steady"?
Common synonyms include: firm, steadfast, abiding, accordant, adamantine, adjust.
How do you use "steady" in a sentence?
Steady the boat so we can get on safely.
How do you pronounce "steady"?
Pronounced /ˈstɛdi/.
Etymology
From Middle English stedy, studi, stidiȝ, perhaps continuing Old English stæþþiġ, ġestæþþiġ (“steadfast, stable, firm, staid”), equivalent to stead + -y; or calquing Middle Low German or Middle Dutch stēdig. Cognate with Saterland Frisian stoadig (“constant, continual”), West Frisian stadich (“slow”), Danish stedig, stadig, steeg, Swedish stadig, Icelandic stöðugur, German stätig, stetig. Compare also Old English ġestedegian (“to bring to a standstill”). Sense 8 of the adjective is a semantic loan from Hokkien 在 (chāi, “steady, confident”).