steady
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- firm, fixed, safe, stable
- sensible, balanced, calm, dependable, equable, level-headed, reliable, sober
- continuous, ceaseless, consistent, constant, incessant, nonstop, persistent, regular, unbroken, uninterrupted
[verb]
Synonyms:
- stabilize, brace, secure, support

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Antonyms: unsteady
Contrasted words: inconstant, uneven, unstable, changeable, changing, fluctuating, uncertain, undependable, undulating, unsure, varying, wavering
Related Words: unswerving, eternal, never-ending, steady-going, certain, changeless, fixed, set, sure, unchangeable, unflickering, unwavering, durable, reliable

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English Thesaurus: increase, go up, rise, grow, escalate, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. stead‧y¹ W3 /ˈstedi/ 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]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. steady² 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 Synonym : 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.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. steady³ adverb
go steady (with somebody) to have a long regular romantic relationship with someone

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

IV. steady⁴ noun (plural steadies) [countable]
American English old-fashioned informal a boyfriend or girlfriend that someone has been having a romantic relationship with

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

V. steady⁵ 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.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

steady
adj.
I. not moving or shaking
VERBS be, feel, look, seem, sound | become | remain | hold sb/sth, keep sb/sth Hold the ladder steady!
ADV. extremely, very | absolutely, perfectly, quite, rock His gaze was rock steady.
not quite She opened the letter with hands that were not quite steady.
almost

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

steady
II. developing/happening at a regular rate
VERBS be, seem | become | hold, remain Share prices have held steady over the last few days.
ADV. remarkably, very | fairly, relatively

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

steady

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.
hold/remain steady
A recent poll showed his approval rating holding steady at 53 percent.
slow but/and steady
She is making a slow but steady recovery.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

increase to become larger in number, amount, or degree:
Sales increased by 25%.
The level of violence has increased.
go up to increase. Go up is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English:
The price of coffee has gone up.
rise to increase. Rise sounds a little formal and is often used when talking about the level of something increasing:
The demand for oil has been rising steadily.
Living standards have risen dramatically.
grow to increase, especially gradually over a period of time – used about numbers or amounts:
Since 1990, US imports of foreign goods have grown at a rate of 7.7% per year.
The number of people working from home has grown substantially.
escalate to increase to a high level – used about things that you do not want to increase such as costs, crimes, or violence:
Fuel prices are escalating.
The fighting has escalated.
double/triple to become twice as much or three times as much:
Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.
The company’s profits tripled last quarter.
expand to become larger in size, or to include a wider range of activities:
The business has expanded at a rate of 15% per year.
We are hoping to expand into mobile phone services.
soar to increase and reach a very high level – used about numbers and amounts, or about feelings:
The temperature soared to 36.6 degrees centigrade.
His confidence soared.
The singer’s popularity has soared.
shoot up to increase very quickly and suddenly – used about prices, numbers, or temperatures:
Share prices shot up 30% over the last week.
put something up to increase prices, taxes etc. Put up something is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English:
The landlord has put the rent up again.
They’re always putting up gas prices.
raise to increase something such as prices or taxes, or levels or standards:
The bank has raised interest rates for the third time this year.
The school aims to raise students’ levels of achievement.
boost to increase sales, profits, production etc, especially when they have been lower than you want them to be:
Growing affluence has boosted sales.
Oil exports boosted the economy.
extend to increase something such as your power or influence, or the number of things you are involved in:
We are hoping to extend the range of services that we offer.
The company plans to extend its dominance of the world car market.
step up something to increase your efforts or activities, especially to change a situation:
Security has been stepped up following the bombing.
Local people have stepped up their campaign to prevent a prison being built in their neighbourhood.
heighten to increase a feeling or effect:
The attack has heightened concerns about racism in schools.
Hunger can heighten the effect that alcohol has on you.
maximize to increase something as much as possible:
Businesses try to maximize efficiency and cut costs.
To maximize the chances of a successful pregnancy, you should make sure that you eat well.
big/large
The company has announced a big increase in its profits for last year.
slight/small
Doctors have reported a slight increase in the number of deaths caused by the disease.
The temperature increase was quite small.
great (=big)
There has been a great increase in air traffic in the last twenty years.
huge/massive (=very big)
There was a huge increase in emigration after the war.
substantial/considerable formal (=quite big)
He negotiated a substantial increase in pay for the workers.
significant/marked (=definite and noticeable)
Over the last few years, there has been a marked increase in tourism to developing countries.
dramatic/sharp (=large and sudden)
What has led to this dramatic increase in prices?
rapid (=happening quickly)
Recently there has been a rapid increase in fish farming.
modest (=small)
The figures reveal a modest increase in the birth rate.
gradual (=happening slowly)
Her temperature chart showed a gradual increase over the preceding six hours.
steady (=happening slowly but continuously)
The university has benefited from a steady increase in student numbers.
a threefold/fourfold/fivefold etc increase (=an increase by three, four etc times)
The figures show a threefold increase in incidents of car theft.
a 10%/50% etc increase
A 5% increase in petrol prices is predicted.
an annual increase
The company reported a 10% increase in pre-tax profits.
lead to an increase
They argue that the abolition of the death penalty has led to an increase in the number of murders.
cause/bring about an increase
The heatwave brought about a massive increase in water consumption.
a price increase
We expect a price increase of 1.4% this year.
a fare increase
The airline instituted a 10% fare increase.
a wage/pay/salary increase
Canadian workers received a 5.4% wage increase.
a tax increase
The government had no choice but to impose a tax increase.
be on the increase (=be increasing)
Knife attacks are on the increase.
the rate of increase
The rate of increase in the number of violent crimes is much higher than under the previous government.
growth noun [singular, uncountable] an increase in the number, size, or importance of something. Growth is also used when saying that a company or a country’s economy becomes more successful:
The astonishing growth of the Internet has had a dramatic effect on people’s lives.
Japan experienced a period of rapid economic growth.
Many people are concerned about the enormous growth in the world’s population.
surge noun [countable usually singular] a sudden increase in something such as profits, demand, or interest:
There has been a big surge in demand for organically grown food.
We have seen a tremendous surge of interest in Chinese medicine.
gain noun [uncountable and countable] an increase in the amount or level of something - used especially in business or political contexts, or when talking about an increase in someone’s weight:
sales gains
The December job figures show a net gain of 81,000 jobs.
The party has experienced a gain in popularity.
The amount of weight gain during pregnancy varies.
hike noun [countable] informal especially American English a large or sudden increase in prices or taxes - often used in newspaper reports:
Despite a 25% hike in fuel costs, the airline made a profit last year.
tax hikes
wage hikes
explosion noun [countable] a sudden very large increase in the amount or number of something:
There has been an explosion in the number of fast food restaurants.
The country experienced a population explosion.
The book caused an explosion of interest in Renaissance Italy.
boom noun [singular] a sudden large increase in trade, profits or sales, with the result that a country, company, or industry becomes very successful. Boom is also used about a sudden increase in interest in something, with the result that it becomes very popular:
the German economic boom of the 1960s
the Internet boom
There has been a boom in sales of diet books and videos.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Patients rely on doctors to help them make the right decisions about their health care.
reliable/dependable able to be trusted to do what you want, or to be accurate:
The Boeing is a very reliable plane.
a dependable supply of oil
reliable economic forecasts
How can we be sure that his evidence is reliable?
can rely/depend on something if you can rely or depend on something, you can be sure that they will do what you want or need them to do:
I need a car that I can rely on in all weathers.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

steady
ˈstedɪ
See: go steady

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲