steady

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled steddy

US /ˈstɛdi/ See IPA manual

Freq #2844

Meanings

1

adj
Firm and not shaking or moving.

Hold the ladder steady while I go up.
2

adj
Continuing at the same regular rate without sudden changes.

The car moved at a steady speed along the highway.
3

adj
Calm and not easily upset or worried.

You need steady nerves to do this job.
4

verb
To make something firm and stop it from shaking.

She steadied herself against the wall.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · firm and not shaking or... solid robust

2 adj · continuing at the same... constant

3 adj · calm and not easily upset... even-tempered

4 verb · to make something firm and... calm

More consistent equable equal eveneven-keeledmonotonous obstinate ponderous regularsamelyslow stable

Opposites

unsteady

Word family

Forms steadiedsteadiersteadiessteadieststeadying

Derived forms non-quasi-steadynonsteadyoversteadyrock-steadyrocksteadysteadicamsteadily steadinesssteady-as-she-goessteady-goingsteady-handedsteady-state

Appears in

Phrases (4)

See all

steady boyfriend
a committed, long-term romantic partner

Adjective + noun
steady beat
a regular, unvarying rhythm

Adjective + noun
steady hand
a hand that does not tremble, implying skill or calm under pressure

Adjective + noun
steady rain
rain that falls at a continuous, constant rate

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (2)

See all

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 (“steady”), 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”) and Dutch steeds (“more and more”). Adjective sense 8 is a semantic loan from Singapore Hokkien 在 (chāi, “confident, skilled”, literally “steady”).

stedy Middle English stæþþiġ Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# steady

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈstɛdi/
**Frequency rank:** 2844

## Meanings
1. Firm and not shaking or moving.
2. Continuing at the same regular rate without sudden changes.
3. Calm and not easily upset or worried.
4. To make something firm and stop it from shaking.

## Examples
- Hold the ladder steady while I go up.
- The car moved at a steady speed along the highway.
- You need steady nerves to do this job.
- She steadied herself against the wall.

## Synonyms
- consistent
- equable
- equal
- even
- even-keeled
- monotonous
- obstinate
- ponderous
- regular
- samely
- slow
- stable

## Antonyms
- unsteady

## Derived Forms
- non-quasi-steady
- nonsteady
- oversteady
- rock-steady
- rocksteady
- steadicam
- steadily
- steadiness
- steady-as-she-goes
- steady-going
- steady-handed
- steady-state

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: stedy
- Root: stæþþiġ

## 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 (“steady”), 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”) and Dutch steeds (“more and more”). Adjective sense 8 is a semantic loan from Singapore Hokkien 在 (chāi, “confident, skilled”, literally “steady”).

## AI Etymology
Steady is 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 (“steady”), 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”) and Dutch steeds (“more and more”). Adjective sense 8 is a semantic loan from Singapore Hokkien 在 (chāi, “confident, skilled”, literally “steady”).

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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