Steady — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb adverb noun /ˈste-dē/

Meaning & Definition of Steady

Steady (adjective)

  1. direct or sure in movement, unfaltering
  2. firm in position, fixed
  3. keeping nearly upright in a seaway

Steady (verb)

  1. to make or keep steady
  2. to become steady

Steady (adverb)

  1. in a steady manner, steadily
  2. on the course set —used as a direction to the helmsman of a ship

Steady (noun)

  1. one that is steady; specifically, a boyfriend or girlfriend with whom one goes steady

Steady (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. firm in one's allegiance to someone or something

    "even as wild accusations were circulating, she remained steady in her support for the candidate"

    similar: constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, down-the-line, faithful, fast, good, loyal, pious, staunch, steadfast, true, true-blue
    related: dependable, dutiful, reliable, responsible, solid, tried, tried-and-true, trustworthy, trusty, unfaltering, unhesitating, unwavering, determined, intent, resolute, confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool, inveterate, sworn, ardent, avid, enthusiastic, fervent, fervid, gung ho, impassioned, passionate, serious
    opposite: disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue
    near: irresponsible, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy, faltering, hesitant, vacillating, wavering, dubious, irresolute, shaky, uncertain, apathetic, dispassionate, uninterested

  2. appearing or occurring repeatedly from time to time

    "a popular author who produces a steady output of best sellers year after year"

    similar: constant, frequent, habitual, periodic, periodical, regular, repeated
    related: continual, intermittent, recurrent, recurring, cyclic, around-the-clock, hourly, round-the-clock, 24-7, chronic, confirmed, inveterate, expected, usual
    opposite: inconstant, infrequent, irregular
    near: episodic, occasional, unexpected, unusual

  3. not undergoing a change in condition

    "a steady breeze from the west"

    similar: changeless, constant, stable, stationary, unchanging, unvarying, on an even keel
    related: fast, fixed, hard-and-fast, immutable, inflexible, invariable, unalterable, unchangeable, established, set, settled, ceaseless, continuing, durable, enduring, lasting, permanent
    opposite: capricious, changeful, changing, fickle, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, skittish, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, varying, volatile
    near: adaptable, alterable, changeable, flexible, mutable, variable, ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, momentary, transient, transitory, kaleidoscopic, phantasmagoric

  4. not varying

    "support for her presidential bid has been steady"

    similar: even, invariant, unchanging, undeviating, uniform, unvarying, unwavering
    related: fixed, immutable, invariable, set, unalterable, unchangeable
    opposite: changing, deviating, nonuniform, unsteady, varying

  5. worthy of one's trust

    "a quiet but steady man who is one of the pillars of the community"

    similar: calculable, dependable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, secure, solid, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustable, trustworthy, trusty
    related: constant, devoted, faithful, fast, loyal, staunch, steadfast, true-blue, honest, sincere, single-minded, infallible, unerring, bedrock, firm, sound, strong, effective, telling, attested, authenticated, confirmed, proven, valid, validated, verified, blameless, faultless, guiltless, impeccable, inerrant, irreproachable, unimpeachable, unquestionable
    opposite: dodgy (chiefly British), uncertain, undependable, unreliable, unsafe, untrustworthy
    near: disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue, deceitful, dishonest, lying, mendacious, untruthful, debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, dubious, fishy, problematic, questionable, shady, shaky, suspect, uncertain, unsound, hazardous, risky, unconfirmed, untried

Steady (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in love, lover

    similar: admirer, beau, beloved, boyfriend, darling, dear, favorite, fellow, flame, girlfriend, honey, love, lover, swain, sweet, sweetheart, sweetie, sweetie pie, valentine, betrothed, fiancé, fiancée, intended, bride, groom

Steady (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in underlie, truss

    similar: truss, underlie, bear, bolster, brace, buttress, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, support, sustain, undergird, underpin, uphold

Related Entry: Go steady (phrase)

Go steady is a different word from Steady. The synonyms below are for go steady, not for steady.

  1. to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage

    "She asked him if he wanted to go steady."

    similar: court, date, keep company
    related: attend, gallant, romance, spark, woo, escort, see, take out, go out, step out

Related Entry: Gone steady (phrase)

Gone steady is a different word from Steady. The synonyms below are for gone steady, not for steady.

  1. to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage

    "She asked him if he wanted to go steady."

    similar: courted, dated, kept company
    related: attended, gallanted, romanced, sparked, wooed, escorted, seen, taken out, gone out, stepped out

Related Entry: Went steady (phrase)

Went steady is a different word from Steady. The synonyms below are for went steady, not for steady.

  1. to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage

    "She asked him if he wanted to go steady."

    similar: courted, dated, kept company
    related: attended, gallanted, romanced, sparked, wooed, escorted, saw, took out, stepped out, went out

Related Entry: Goes steady (phrase)

Goes steady is a different word from Steady. The synonyms below are for goes steady, not for steady.

  1. to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage

    "She asked him if he wanted to go steady."

    similar: courts, dates, keeps company
    related: attends, gallants, romances, sparks, woos, escorts, sees, takes out, goes out, steps out

Related Entry: Going steady (phrase)

Going steady is a different word from Steady. The synonyms below are for going steady, not for steady.

  1. to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage

    "She asked him if he wanted to go steady."

    similar: courting, dating, keeping company
    related: attending, gallanting, romancing, sparking, wooing, escorting, seeing, taking out, going out, stepping out

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Steady

The most common words with a similar meaning to Steady:

constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, down-the-line, faithful, fast, good, loyal, pious, staunch, steadfast, true, true-blue, frequent, habitual, periodic, periodical, regular, repeated, changeless, stable, stationary, unchanging, unvarying, even, invariant, undeviating, uniform, unwavering, calculable, dependable, reliable, responsible, safe, secure, solid, sure, tried, tried-and-true

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Steady

Words with the opposite meaning of Steady:

disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue, infrequent, irregular, capricious, changeful, changing, fluctuating, fluid, mercurial, skittish, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, varying, volatile, deviating, nonuniform, dodgy

Related Words for Steady

dutiful, unfaltering, unhesitating, determined, intent, resolute, confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool, inveterate, sworn, ardent, avid, enthusiastic, fervent, fervid, gung ho, impassioned, passionate, serious, continual, intermittent, recurrent, recurring, cyclic, around-the-clock, hourly, round-the-clock, 24-7, chronic, expected

Near Antonyms of Steady

irresponsible, faltering, hesitant, vacillating, wavering, dubious, irresolute, shaky, apathetic, dispassionate, uninterested, episodic, occasional, unexpected, unusual, adaptable, alterable, changeable, flexible, mutable, variable, ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, momentary, transient, transitory, kaleidoscopic, phantasmagoric, deceitful

Word Forms of Steady

Inflections: steadier, steadiest, steadied, steadying, steadies

Derived words: steadily (adverb), steadiness (noun), steadier (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Steady

Middle English stedy, from stede

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Steady

Words & Phrases Containing Steady

steady state, steady state theory, steady as a rock, steady on, steady oneself, steady one's/someone's nerves

Frequently Asked Questions about Steady

What does "Steady" mean?

"Steady" means direct or sure in movement, unfaltering. As an an adjective, a verb, an adverb and a noun, it is defined as: direct or sure in movement, unfaltering. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Steady"?

Other words for "Steady" include constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, down-the-line, faithful, fast and good. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Steady" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Steady"?

There are 156 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Steady". Common alternatives include constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, down-the-line, faithful, fast, good, loyal and pious.

What is the opposite of "Steady"?

Antonyms of "Steady" include disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant and traitorous. Near antonyms include irresponsible, faltering, hesitant and vacillating.

How do you use "Steady" in a sentence?

Examples of "Steady" in a sentence: "even as wild accusations were circulating, she remained steady in her support for the candidate"; "a popular author who produces a steady output of best sellers year after year"; "a steady breeze from the west".

Is "Steady" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Steady" can be used as an adjective, a verb, an adverb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Steady" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Steady" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Steady"?

"Steady" is pronounced /ˈste-dē/.