steady
/ˈstɪdi/adjective, verb, particle, noun, adverb, interjection
steady is spelled S-T-E-A-D-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 20 times per million words in written English, the 4,224th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, steady means “Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in steady?
| Letters | 6: S-T-E-A-D-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 20 times per million words; the 4,224th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is steady?
Steady appears 20 times per million words in written English, the 4,224th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce steady?
- /ˈstɛdi/
- US /ˈstɪdi/
- US /ˈstʌdi/
Steady has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-steady.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with steady?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as steady from its last stressed vowel (/ɪdi/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of steady
- steadier comparative
- steadiest superlative
- steddy
- stedy
- steadies present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- steadying participle, present
- steadied participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does steady mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm.
Hold the ladder steady while I go up.
- 2
Constant in feeling, purpose, or pursuit; not fickle, changeable, or wavering; not easily moved or persuaded to alter a purpose; resolute.
a man steady in his principles, in his purpose, or in the pursuit of an object
- 3
Smooth and not bumpy or with obstructions.
a steady ride
- 4
Phlegmatic, calm; not easily upset, excited, or disturbed.
a steady tone of voice
- 5
Regular and even.
the steady course of the Sun; a steady breeze of wind
- 6
Slow.
- 7
datedinformalWith whom one is going steady.
- 8
Confident and cool-headed under pressure; competent; reliable, adept.
verb
- 1
To stabilize; to prevent from shaking.
I took a drink to steady my nerves.
- 2
To become stable.
particle
- 1
Aspect marker indicating consistency or intensity.
Why you steady cappin'?
noun
- 1
A rest or support, as for the hand, a tool, or a piece of work.
- 2
informalA regular boyfriend or girlfriend; somebody to go steady with.
- 3
informalA prostitute's regular customer.
adverb
- 1
informalTo row with pressure at a low stroke-rating, often 18 strokes per minute.
After the sprint pieces, we rowed steady for the rest of practice.
interjection
- 1
Alright!, way to go!, nice!
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Steady in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | estável , regular , estabilizar |
| French | régulier , lisse |
| German | stabilisieren , stetig |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does steady come from?
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”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).