steady
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: enpr: stĕdʹi
ipa: /ˈstɛdi/
enpr: stĭdʹi
enpr: stŭdʹi
ipa: /ˈstɪdi/
ipa: /ˈstʌdi/
rhymes: -ɛdi
Forms: form: steadier
form: steadiest
form: steddy
form: stedy
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”).
Senses: examples: text: Hold the ladder steady while I go up.
text: Their feet steady, their hands diligent, their eyes watchful, and their hearts resolute.
ref: a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
english: The New Arcadia
translation: The New Arcadia
text: But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window,[…].
ref: 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
text: When I went to Harrow, thirty years ago, I found a winter evening game in force there, called 'high cockalorum,' […] The players used to divide into two opposing bands of from twelve to fourteen each – in fact, the more the merrier. One side 'went down,' so as to constitute a long 'hogsback' – the last boy having a couple of pillows between himself and the wall, and each boy clasping his front rank man, and carefully tucking his own 'cocoa-nut' [i.e., head] under his right arm, so as to prevent fracture of the vertebrae. When the hogsback was thus formed, the other side came on, leapfrogging on to the backs of those who were down, the best and the steadiest jumpers being sent first. […]
ref: 1890 January 4, Pall Mall Gazette, London: J. K. Sharpe, →OCLC, page 2, column 1:
text: Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.
ref: 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: Jenny also used a much more advanced form of wave generation: instead of using a bow string, he was able to create cymatoscopes using piezoelectric generators that could be regulated electronically and could produce steadier wave displacements than any of Jenny’s predecessors.
ref: 2010, Stephen D. Lewis, Seeing Sound: Hans Jenny and the Cymatic Atlas, page 17:
glosses: Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm.
examples: text: a man steady in his principles, in his purpose, or in the pursuit of an object
glosses: Constant in feeling, purpose, or pursuit; not fickle, changeable, or wavering; not easily moved or persuaded to alter a purpose; resolute.
examples: text: a steady ride
glosses: Smooth and not bumpy or with obstructions.
examples: text: a steady tone of voice
text: Thy ſteddy Temper, Portius,
Can look on Guilt, Rebellion, Fraud, and Cæſar,
In the calm Lights of mild Philoſophy;
I’m tortured, ev’n to Madneſs, when I think
On the proud Victor: […]
ref: 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 1:
synonyms: even-tempered
glosses: Phlegmatic, calm; not easily upset, excited, or disturbed.
examples: text: the steady course of the Sun;  a steady breeze of wind
text: The rebuilding of damaged stations is proceeding slowly, on account of the shortage of building materials and the pressing needs of housing, but steady progress is being made.
ref: 1951 March, E. J. Tyler, “Post-War Recovery on the Netherlands Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 157:
text: During programmed changes, no steady green signal indication or flashing yellow signal indication shall be terminated and immediately followed by a steady red or flashing red signal indication without first displaying the steady yellow signal […]
ref: 2003, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices: Inserts Only, page 10:
glosses: Regular and even.
glosses: Slow.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1979 August 25, Pat M. Kuras, “Post Card Sex”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 6, page 12:
glosses: With whom one is going steady.
examples: text: 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?
ref: 2010, Neil Humphreys, chapter 10, in Match Fixer, Marshall Cavendish International, →ISBN, page 112:
synonyms: word: steady pom pi pi
word: solid
glosses: Confident and cool-headed under pressure; competent; reliable, adept.
Synonyms: sense: firm
word: robust
sense: firm
word: solid
sense: firm
word: untottering
sense: constant in purpose or action
word: dogged
word: staunch
word: unyielding
word: obstinate
sense: smooth, not bumpy
word: fluid
sense: regular and even
word: constant
word: uniform
word: unvarying
sense: slow
word: glacial
word: ponderous
word: stately
word: slow
word: consistent
word: equable
word: equal
word: even
word: even-keeled
word: monotonous
word: regular
word: samely
word: stable
word: steady
word: uncheckered
word: unvaried
Hypernyms: word: homogeneous
word: orderly
Hyponyms: word: Of sound:
word: flat
word: level
word: monotone
word: monotonic
word: Change:
word: changeless
word: immutable
word: Other:
word: repetitive
Derived terms: go steady
land of steady habits
non-quasi-steady
ready, steady, go
rock-steady
rock steady
slow and steady wins the race
steadily
steadiness
steady as a rock
steady as she goes
steady-as-she-goes
steady Eddie
steady-going
steady hand at the tiller
steady-handed
steady hand on the tiller
steady on
steady pom pi pi
steady state
steady-state
steady stater
steady state theory