steadily

steadily — adverb

1. in a way that happens at a regular pace or by small amounts over time, without s

1.adverbB1
Definition

in a way that happens at a regular pace or by small amounts over time, without sudden jumps or stops.

Example

The cost of living has been steadily increasing over the past few years.

present perfect progressive + steadily + increasing

Emre steadily improved his Mandarin by studying for twenty minutes every day.

steadily + past simple verb of improvement

Common collocations
  • increase steadily
  • grow steadily
  • improve steadily
  • decline steadily
  • rise steadily
  • fall steadily
  • expand steadily
Synonyms
  • gradually

    focuses on slowness rather than regularity; 'steadily' implies evenness, 'gradually' implies a slow pace

  • consistently

    emphasises reliability over time; 'consistently' is more about dependability than rate

  • evenly

    highlights the equal spacing or distribution; more literal for physical quantities

Antonyms
  • erratically

    opposite kind of movement — sudden, irregular changes

  • unevenly

    opposite in distribution or pace — not at a regular rate

Grammar Patterns

steadily + [verb of change]

be + [verb]ing + steadily

have + [past participle] + steadily

Usage Note

Frequently paired with verbs of change — increase, decrease, improve, grow, decline, rise, fall. The focus is on the regularity of the change, not its speed.

Common Mistakes

The temperature steadily dropped very fast.
The temperature dropped steadily throughout the night.
'steadily' emphasises regularity, not speed; avoid pairing it with 'fast' or 'quickly' in the same clause.

2. in a calm, controlled, and confident manner, without wavering or being interrupt

2.adverbB2
Definition

in a calm, controlled, and confident manner, without wavering or being interrupted by outside events.

Example

Despite the loud noise outside, the speaker continued steadily with her presentation.

continued steadily + despite [distraction] — adversity context

Adaeze looked steadily at the interviewer and answered every question with confidence.

looked steadily at [person] — controlled gaze

Common collocations
  • look steadily
  • hold steadily
  • continue steadily
  • move steadily
  • speak steadily
  • gaze steadily
Synonyms
  • calmly

    focuses on emotional state rather than physical control; 'calmly' is more about inner peace

  • firmly

    emphasises strength of purpose or grip; 'firmly' suggests resolve

  • composedly

    more formal; highlights self-possession under pressure

Antonyms
  • unsteadily

    the direct opposite — lacking physical or emotional control

  • shakily

    specifically about trembling or unreliable movement

Grammar Patterns

steadily + [verb of perception/action]

verb + steadily + preposition + [object]

Usage Note

Common with verbs of looking, holding, speaking, or performing skilled physical actions. The emphasis is on composure and control, often in situations where staying calm is difficult.

Common Mistakes

He steadily breathed in and out.
He breathed steadily in and out to calm himself down.
with bodily actions, use 'steadily' to highlight the deliberate, controlled quality, not just the fact of the action.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe change over time, but they differ in emphasis. 'Steadily' highlights the even, regular pace of change — neither speeding up nor slowing down. 'Gradually' focuses on slowness: a change that happens in tiny steps, which may or may not be at a regular rate. 'Consistently' is about reliability and dependability — doing the same thing each time — rather than the pace of change. 'Evenly' is the most literal, often describing physical distribution (spread evenly over a surface) rather than temporal progression. 'Progressively' adds the idea of forward direction or improvement: things don't just change, they move toward a more advanced state. For example: 'The temperature dropped steadily through the night' (regular rate) vs. 'The temperature dropped gradually' (slowly) vs. 'The temperature dropped progressively' (steadily moving lower).

gradually ↗consistently ↗evenly ↗progressively

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • fairly steadily
  • quite steadily
  • relatively steadily
  • remarkably steadily

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'steady' (from Middle English 'stedi', meaning 'firmly fixed in place') plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Steady' itself comes from Old English 'stede' ('place, position') — so its original sense was 'standing firmly in one place.' The meaning shifted over time from physical stability (not moving) to the more abstract idea of even, reliable progress.