steady

Pronunciation: /ˈstɪdi/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B1 — Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a person loved by another person
  2. verb make steady
  3. verb support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace

Etymology

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”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

sweetheart, sweetie, truelove

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
lover
Narrower (hyponyms)
sugar daddy, ladylove, valentine

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