different between steady vs sure

English

Alternative forms

• steddy, stedy

Etymology

From Middle English stede, stedi, stidi?, from Old English stæþþi?, from stæþ (“stead, bank”); equivalent to stathe +? -y or stead +? -y. Cognate with West Frisian stadich (“slow”), Danish stedig, stadig, steeg, Swedish stadig, Icelandic stöðugur, Middle Dutch stedigh, German stätig, stetig.

Pronunciation

• enPR: st?d?i, IPA^(key): /?st?di/

Adjective

steady (comparative steadier, superlative steadiest)

1. Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm.

   • Their feet steady, their hands diligent, their eyes watchful, and their hearts resolute.

   • Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile?; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.

2. Constant in feeling, purpose, or pursuit; not fickle, changeable, or wavering; not easily moved or persuaded to alter a purpose; resolute.
   • 2003, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices: Inserts Only (page 10)

     During programmed changes, no steady green signal indication or flashing yellow signal indication shall be terminated and immediately followed by a steady red or flashing red signal indication without first displaying the steady yellow signal […]

3. Smooth and not bumpy or with obstructions.

4. Regular and even.

5. Slow.

Synonyms

• (firm): robust, solid, untottering
• (constant in purpose or action): dogged, staunch, unyielding; see also Thesaurus:obstinate
• (smooth, not bumpy): fluid
• (regular and even): constant, uniform, unvarying; see also Thesaurus:steady
• (slow): glacial, ponderous, stately; see also Thesaurus:slow

Antonyms

• (regular and even): unsteady; see also Thesaurus:unsteady

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

steady (third-person singular simple present steadies, present participle steadying, simple past and past participle steadied)

1. (transitive, sometimes figuratively) To stabilize; to prevent from shaking.

   I took a drink to steady my nerves.

2. (intransitive) To become stable.
   • 2010, Scott Westerfeld, Leviathan

     The ship steadied in the air. Another spray of ballast came, heavier than the last.

Translations

Noun

steady (plural steadies)

1. A rest or support, as for the hand, a tool, or a piece of work.
2. (informal) A regular boyfriend or girlfriend.
   • 2002, Frederick E. Von Burg, Keep My White Sneakers, Kit Carson, iUniverse (?ISBN), page 13:

     “Dalton is my steady, now. If I break up with him, you're the first on the list.” “Thanks,” said Ted. “What a privilege to be second choice.”

3. (informal) A prostitute's regular customer.

Adverb

steady (not comparable)

1. (rowing, informal) To row with pressure at a low stroke-rating, often 18 strokes per minute.

Further reading

• steady in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• steady in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• steady at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• stayed

English

Alternative forms

• sho
• sho'

Etymology

From Middle English sure, seur, sur, from Middle French sur or Old French seür, from Latin s?c?rus (“secure”, literally “carefree”), from s?- (“apart”) + c?ra (“care”) (compare Old English orsorg (“carefree”), from or- (“without”) + sorg (“care”)). See cure. Doublet of secure and the now obsolete or dialectal sicker (“certain, safe”).

Displaced native Middle English wis, iwis (“certain, sure”) (from Old English ?ewis, ?ewiss (“certain, sure”)), Middle English siker (“sure, secure”) (from Old English sicor (“secure, sure”)) with which was cognate.

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???/, /???/, /???/
• Rhymes: -??(r), -??(r)
• (General Australian, General New Zealand) IPA^(key): /?o?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /???/, /???/, /??/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /???/, /??/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /sj???/, /sju??/, /s????/
• Homophones: shaw, Shaw (in non-rhotic dialects with the horse-hoarse merger), shore (with the cure-force merger), show (in non-rhotic with the dough-door merger)

Adjective

sure (comparative surer, superlative surest)

1. Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable.

2. Certain in one's knowledge or belief.

   She is sure of herself.

   He was sure of being a finalist.

   They weren't sure who would attend.

   You seemed sure that the car was his.
3. (followed by a to infinitive) Certain to act or be a specified way.

4. (obsolete) Free from danger; safe; secure.
5. (obsolete) Betrothed; engaged to marry.
   • c. 1513-1518 (probably date written, published after 1535) Thomas More, History of King Richard III

     The king was sure to Dame Elizabeth Lucy, and her husband before God.

   • 1632, Richard Brome, The Northern Lass

     I presum'd […] [that] you had been sure, as fast as faith could bind you, man and wife.

Synonyms

• (secure and steadfast): certain, failsafe, reliable, sicker
• (steadfast in one's knowledge or belief): certain, positive, wis

Derived terms

• for sure
• sure as hell
• surely
• sure up

Pages starting with “sure”.

Descendants

• ?? Irish: siúráil
• ? Welsh: siwr

Translations

Adverb

sure (comparative more sure, superlative most sure)

1. (modal adverb) Without doubt, certainly.

   Sure he's coming! Why wouldn't he?

   "Did you kill that bear yourself?" ?"I sure did!"

   • 1802, Charles Lamb, John Woodvil

     These high and gusty relishes of life, sure,
     Have no allayings of mortality in them.

Usage notes

• Often proscribed in favor of surely. May be informal.

Interjection

sure

1. Yes, expressing noncommittal agreement or consent.

2. Yes; of course.

3. You're welcome; polite response to being thanked.

Synonyms

• (noncommittal yes): OK, yes

Translations

References

• 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, Oxford University Press, ?ISBN

Anagrams

• ERUs, Ersu, Reus, Rues, Ruse, US'er, rues, ruse, suer, ures, user

Danish

Adjective

sure

1. inflection of sur:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural

Finnish

Verb

sure

1. Indicative present connegative form of surra.
2. Second-person singular imperative present form of surra.
3. Second-person singular imperative present connegative form of surra.

Anagrams

• resu, seur.

French

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -y?

Adjective

sure

1. feminine singular of sur

Adjective

sure

1. Alternative spelling of sûre

Anagrams

• rues
• ruse, rusé
• suer
• user

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French seür, from Latin s?c?rus. Doublet of siker.

Alternative forms

• sur, seur, seure, sewre, sewr, sewere, suer, suere, soure, suir, sere, sore

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s?u?r/, /siu?r/, /su?r/

Adjective

sure (comparative seurer)

1. safe, protected (not dangerous or harmful)
2. fortified, well-defended, protected; especially religiously
3. sure, certain, confirmed
4. sure-minded (certain of one's intent)
5. reliable, of good quality
6. sound, sturdy, hardy

Derived terms

• surely
• surement
• suren
• surenes
• surete

Descendants

• English: sure
  • ?? Irish: siúráil
  • ? Welsh: siwr
• Scots: shuir

References

• “seur, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.

Adverb

sure

1. sure, surely, with no doubt or uncertainty
2. entirely, wholly, fully
3. While protecting something, with protection
4. With a tight grasp or grip

Descendants

• English: sure
• Scots: shuir

References

• “seur, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.

Etymology 2

Verb

sure

1. Alternative form of suren

Etymology 3

Noun

sure

1. Alternative form of sire

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Arabic ??????? (s?ra, “chapter of the Qur'an”).

Alternative forms

• sura

Noun

sure m (definite singular suren, indefinite plural surer, definite plural surene)

1. (Islam) a sura (any of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Adjective

sure

1. definite singular of sur
2. plural of sur

References

• “sure” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “sure” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Anagrams

• ruse, suer, ures

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Arabic ??????? (s?ra, “chapter of the Qur'an”).

Alternative forms

• sura

Noun

sure m (definite singular suren, indefinite plural surar, definite plural surane)

1. (Islam) a sura (any of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Adjective

sure

1. definite singular of sur
2. plural of sur

References

• “sure” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• ruse, suer

Old English

Etymology

From Germanic, related to s?r (“sour”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?su?.re/

Noun

s?re f

1. sorrel

Pali

Alternative forms

Noun

sure

1. vocative singular of sur? (“a class of liquor”)

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sure/

Adjective

sure

1. inflection of sur:
   1. genitive/dative feminine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/genitive/dative feminine/neuter plural

Swedish

Adjective

sure

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of sur.

Turkish

Etymology

From Arabic ??????? (s?ra).

Noun

sure (definite accusative sureyi, plural sureler)

1. sura

Declension