I. stead ‧ y 1 W3 /ˈstedi/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Origin: stead ]
1 . CONTINUOUS continuing or developing gradually or without stopping, and not likely to change:
Paul is making steady progress.
a steady rain
hold/remain steady
Employment is holding steady at 96%.
steady stream/flow/trickle etc
a steady stream of traffic
2 . NOT MOVING firmly held in a particular position and not moving or shaking ⇨ stable
hold/keep something steady
Keep the camera steady while you take a picture.
It takes a steady hand to perform surgery.
3 . steady job/work/income a job or work that will definitely continue over a long period of time:
It’s hard to find a steady, well-paying job.
4 . VOICE/LOOK if someone’s voice is steady, or they look at you in a steady way, they seem calm and do not stop speaking or looking at you:
There were tears in her eyes, but her voice was steady.
He could not meet Connor’s steady gaze.
5 . PERSON someone who is steady is sensible and you can depend on them:
a steady worker
6 . steady boyfriend/girlfriend someone that you have been having a romantic relationship with for a long time
7 . steady relationship a serious and strong relationship that continues for a long time
—steadily adverb :
The company’s exports have grown steadily.
Debt was increasing steadily.
—steadiness noun [uncountable]
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ steady progress
We're making steady progress in reducing the unemployment rate.
▪ steady growth
During the 1960s most of the Western world enjoyed steady economic growth.
▪ a steady increase/rise
The campus has benefited from a steady increase in student numbers.
▪ a steady decline
The result has been a steady decline in membership.
▪ a steady stream/flow/trickle
All day long a steady stream of customers came and went.
▪ a steady supply
They need a steady supply of educated workers.
▪ a steady pace/rate
He moved at a slow and steady pace through the maze of corridors.
■ verbs
▪ hold/remain steady
A recent poll showed his approval rating holding steady at 53 percent.
■ phrases
▪ slow but/and steady
She is making a slow but steady recovery.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ people
▪ trustworthy especially written if someone is trustworthy, you can trust them because they are honest:
Many people do not see politicians as trustworthy.
▪ reliable someone who is reliable can be trusted to do what they say they will do and not make any mistakes:
a reliable employee
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We need someone who is 100% reliable.
▪ responsible someone who is responsible can be trusted to behave in a sensible way:
Sam’s a good babysitter – he’s responsible and the kids like him.
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a responsible adult
▪ dependable someone who is dependable can be trusted to do what you need or expect:
Britain is our most dependable ally.
▪ steady someone who is steady is sensible and you can depend on them:
He’s only sixteen, but he’s steady and reliable.
▪ loyal someone who is loyal can be trusted to always give help or support to their friends, their country, their political party etc:
She is fiercely loyal to her family.
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He is one of the party’s most loyal supporters.
▪ faithful someone who is faithful stays loyal to a person, belief, political party etc, and continues to support them, even in difficult situations:
Daniel had been a faithful friend.
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a faithful member of the Communist Party
▪ can rely/depend on somebody if you can rely or depend on someone, you can be sure that they will do what you want or need them to do:
Don’t worry about a thing – you can depend on me.
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Patients rely on doctors to help them make the right decisions about their health care.
II. steady 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle steadied , present participle steadying , third person singular steadies )
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to hold someone or something so they become more balanced or controlled, or to become more balanced or controlled
steady yourself
He reached the chair and steadied himself.
The plane steadied, and the passengers relaxed.
2 . [intransitive] to stop increasing or decreasing and remain about the same SYN stabilize :
The dollar has steadied after early losses on the money markets.
3 . [intransitive and transitive] to become calmer, or to make someone do this:
Tamar took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Jess is a steadying influence on the rest of the team.
III. steady 3 BrE AmE adverb
go steady (with somebody) to have a long regular romantic relationship with someone
IV. steady 4 BrE AmE noun ( plural steadies ) [countable]
American English old-fashioned informal a ↑ boyfriend or ↑ girlfriend that someone has been having a romantic relationship with
V. steady 5 BrE AmE interjection
1 . used when you want to tell someone to be careful or not to cause an accident:
Steady! You nearly knocked me over.
2 . steady on! British English informal used when you think that what someone is saying or doing is too extreme:
Steady on! That bottle’s got to last all night.