I.adjectiveCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a constant/steady rate
▪ The process takes place at a constant rate.
a constant/steady speed
▪ The disc revolves at a constant speed.
a constant/steady/regular supply
▪ For dairy farming, a constant supply of lush grass is essential.
a continuous/steady improvement (=happening slowly and gradually)
▪ The following two seasons saw a steady improvement in the team's performance.
a serious/steady relationship (=one that lasts quite a long time)
▪ It was his first serious relationship.
a steady expansion
▪ There has been a steady expansion of the self-employed sector of the economy.
a steady gaze (=a look in which you do not look away)
▪ Jess felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.
a steady job (=a job that is likely to continue)
▪ I haven’t had a steady job since last March.
a steady pace
▪ The economy was growing at a slow but steady pace.
calm/steady sb's nerves (=make someone feel less worried or nervous)
▪ She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves.
gradual/steady erosion
▪ There has been a steady erosion of the court's powers over the last ten years.
held steady
▪ Since then, the pound has held steady against the dollar.
steady flow
▪ There has been a steady flow of people leaving the area.
steady girlfriend (=one you have a long relationship with)
▪ I didn’t have a steady girlfriend.
steady state theory
steady
▪ Steady progress has been made towards our objectives.
steady (=happening slowly but continuously)
▪ The university has benefited from a steady increase in student numbers.
steady
▪ Japanese banks have been hit hard by the rise in interest rates.
steady
▪ The business has a history of steady growth.
steady/constant/endless etc stream
▪ A steady stream of visitors came to the house.
steady/progressive (=gradual but continuous)
▪ There has been a steady decline in club membership.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
fairly
▪ The next four decades saw a slow but fairly steady erosion of royal power.
▪ During the summer months our casual trade has been fairly steady and a number of these casuals are now regular customers.
▪ The recovery had been, though slow, from its inception, fairly steady.
▪ Little passage is recorded in the spring, although there is fairly steady decline in the winter flocks after February.
very
▪ After that Jack gave up the skiing altogether and I took it very steady.
▪ The first year at university I had a very steady boyfriend who was doing a similar course as me but mechanical engineering.
▪ The artists need a very steady hand.
▪ This was not very steady and the model fell over.
■ NOUN
boyfriend
▪ In any case, life was much too enjoyable to think about steady boyfriends.
▪ The first year at university I had a very steady boyfriend who was doing a similar course as me but mechanical engineering.
▪ It would have to be with a steady boyfriend.
decline
▪ This trend reflects a steady decline in the teenage marriage rate since 1970.
▪ Despite increases in yield per acre, that has led to a steady decline in the amount of dates harvested.
▪ Southend's year has shown steady decline.
▪ Television has contributed to the steady decline of solemnity in the courtroom.
▪ There is no sign given of the possible collapse or steady decline in the fortunes of these economies.
▪ The study also notes a steady decline in the number of college students taking political science courses or enrolling in law schools.
▪ Smoking is on a steady decline among both men and women - but men pack up at a faster rate than women.
▪ Ever since then his popularity here has continued a slow, steady decline.
diet
▪ He'd been brought up on a steady diet of blood, sweat and tears and Douglas Bader.
▪ But a steady diet of soft, sugary foods will only make matters worse.
▪ No normal man would have lived to Wilson's age on a steady diet of those things.
flow
▪ Her relationship with Meirion was crucial, too, for ensuring the steady flow of garments from Carno to London.
▪ How else can members of Congress assume a steady flow of campaign contributions?
▪ So prices are inflated and will remain so until there is a steady flow of imported goods.
▪ We joined the steady flow of couples returning to the Barre cars.
▪ And 5 months on, there's a steady flow of orders.
▪ Now he had made it bleed again, a steady flow of drops falling on to his trousers.
▪ A steady flow of oxygenated water can be maintained by an air stream in the uplift attached to a filter plate.
▪ In order to provide a comprehensive service we need a steady flow of information to us.
gaze
▪ Usually Sara saw him as a bronzed, athletic man with a steady gaze, manly features and narrow hips.
▪ He will look you squarely in the eye, with a steady gaze.
▪ Now the slow burn of his steady gaze awakened feelings within her which were scary.
▪ Jess felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.
▪ As she felt the pressure of his steady gaze she lost her sense of authority and began to feel awkward and girlish.
▪ For a few seconds she found her eyes trapped in that unnervingly steady gaze.
▪ He flinched but withstood the glare and held Lee's steady gaze.
▪ She allowed her steady gaze to flicker from the glass which she had been holding firm.
girlfriend
▪ Now at 16 Steven has a steady girlfriend of 15, who he has been going out with for several months.
▪ Then, he started getting interested in banger-racing and got a steady girlfriend.
growth
▪ They had witnessed a steady growth in circulation and were well satisfied with their achievements, even hopeful that things would improve.
▪ In recent years there has been a steady growth in the use of tribunals to deal with legal disputes rather than courts.
▪ And that slow but steady growth rate upsets some politicians.
▪ The business may have a history of steady growth.
▪ But especially in the past half-dozen years, flavored mustards have shown steady growth.
▪ However, the steady growth of electronic markets provides an important context for the longer term growth of handheld media.
▪ Figure 9.1 shows a steady growth in money and real terms.
hand
▪ Dyson picked up the table-lighter, and with an absolutely steady hand lit the cigarette.
▪ He found he had such a steady hand with his safety razor that he was prepared to go all the way.
▪ This is still a job for scissors and a steady hand.
▪ Gluing toothpicks takes a steady hand and a lot of patience, Sanchez said.
▪ She has any eye for detail and a steady hand to piece it all together.
▪ Good binoculars and a steady hand may reveal it as a thin crescent.
▪ The patience, care and steady hand of Charles was an inspiration and all were impressed by his results.
▪ The artists need a very steady hand.
improvement
▪ The next decade should be one of consolidation a d steady improvement.
▪ A second evaluation, in March 1994, reflected these slow and steady improvements.
▪ The steady improvement of roads and the general increase in commerce helped boost cart traffic.
▪ His career has shown a steady improvement, and he has no bad habits that would inevitably lead to a falloff.
▪ He made steady improvement and was discharged 12 days after admission.
▪ The second and third weeks saw a steady improvement.
▪ From 1945 onwards there were steady improvements in magnetic tape.
▪ There were signs of steady improvement.
income
▪ Probably the greatest number were always corn mills, those more distant being used to provide a steady income.
▪ Maybe you are heading toward retirement and therefore need investments that can provide you with a steady income.
▪ A steady income stream is required to meet the costs of the syndicated lending department.
▪ The more steady income, the more stable the return even as markets fall.
▪ The only ones with a steady income were teachers, storekeepers and local officials.
▪ Installment arrangements work best when the taxpayer has a steady income.
▪ And we receive a steady income from interest on Third World debts.
increase
▪ By 1972, that figure had doubled to over 120,000 offences and since then there has been a steady increase.
▪ That steady increase can take them several miles down into the crust.
▪ Military returns had reported a steady increase in venereal infection among the men since the 1820s.
▪ Unit costs were down and cash flow up, providing a steady increase in the gainsharing payout to employees.
▪ The application of nuclear and radiation physics sees a steady increase in the number of titles.
▪ It shows steady increases in accidents with injuries, as traffic volumes mounted.
▪ This trend is partly accounted for by the steady increase in cohabitation.
▪ However the statistics are compiled, an examination of local government expenditure shows a steady increase over the years.
job
▪ She chooses whatever is available, probably a slightly older man with no more money but a steady job.
▪ But the number of steady jobs has dwindled, and it is unlikely that time by itself will improve the picture.
pace
▪ As long as you go at a slow, steady pace, the job can be done and you none the wiser.
▪ Louis: Regional economy is growing at a slow-but-steady pace.
▪ They had been trying to maintain a steady pace, between hopping and running, and it had come hard.
▪ Huntsville continues to build its high-tech infrastructure and should add jobs in that sector at a steady pace.
▪ It was impossible to hurry but they moved at a steady pace, pausing seldom.
▪ You go to work and toil at a hard, steady pace all day, accomplishing as much as you can?
▪ The rhythm of the cart, moving once more at a steady pace, rocked the kaleidoscope of memory.
▪ Recent surveys show that charity donations maintain a steady pace and that some giving to some charities by some people is increasing.
progress
▪ We are making steady progress, of which the country should be proud.
▪ Hooker, operating against inferior numbers, made steady progress.
▪ Even in these circumstances we still expect to make steady progress in 1993.
▪ As they worked with him, he made slow and steady progress.
▪ Mr. Waldegrave I believe that steady progress is being made, as my hon. Friend says.
▪ Over the years, researchers made steady progress, creating ever quicker and more sophisticated programs.
▪ All the Fire Protection branches made steady progress.
▪ We are, as I just mentioned, close to that goal and making steady progress toward it.
rain
▪ The weather had changed to cold, steady rain.
▪ But the Friday round, during which a steady rain fell unceasingly, was a different matter.
▪ Piles of fallen leaves carpeted the forest floor with gold, and the stillness was broken only by the steady rain.
▪ They coped well with steady rain making me question the need for overtrousers in milder seasons.
▪ Water resistance: steady rain will penetrate but the fabric holds its own against light drizzle and dries out quickly after showers.
▪ His chances of defending a frail total of 226 slipped away with the steady rain that fell for the last two hours.
▪ A steady rain began to fall.
▪ Water resistance: held off light showers well, though steady rain will penetrate.
rate
▪ When the satellite is busy messages queue up and are sent out at a steady rate.
▪ Larger families around us were being rehoused at a steady rate, but we were doomed to wait for ever.
▪ If the reconnection were to take place at a steady rate, the ion energy would show a continuous latitudinal dispersion.
▪ The steady rate of pregnancy among wild females, however, attests to the efficiency of the system.
▪ It continued at an almost steady rate until January 1964, when the situation stabilized.
▪ The steel tracks ground along at a steady rate, flattening glorious highly-finned autos, scattering pedestrians and levelling lampposts.
▪ They would be sending out radiation and particles at a steady rate.
▪ Glottochronology is a technique developed for spoken languages which has a basic assumption that languages change at a relatively steady rate.
relationship
▪ The highest earners have the most confidence in themselves, while those currently without a steady relationship are relatively lacking in confidence.
▪ Half are married or in steady relationships.
▪ But what of courses which do not have such a steady relationship?
rhythm
▪ The steady rhythm of numbers is immensely calming.
▪ The swamp cooler beats a steady rhythm, trying its best to tame the stuffy air.
▪ For a while this procedure worked quite well, and we began to develop a steady rhythm.
▪ Her heart faltered, then resumed its steady rhythm.
▪ The slow, steady rhythm was pulsing in her veins.
▪ I listened to my feet making a steady rhythm on the paved stones, as regular as a pulse beat.
rise
▪ Invisible receipts from tourism have shown a steady rise over recent years from 2.97 billion in 1981.
▪ All groups have shown a steady rise over the 1977 to 1986 period.
▪ There are forecasters who reject the picture of a steady rise in the euro against the dollar.
▪ A steady rise in teenage pregnancies suggests teenagers are not using contraceptives.
state
▪ It is believed that organisms soon adapt to microgravity and establish a new biological steady state.
▪ At any given dosage, 2-4 days are required to reach steady state.
▪ First, fluoridation will raise the average steady state or plateau level of ionic fluoride in the blood throughout the total population.
▪ It is important to measure serum levels at steady state after each change of dose.
▪ Ecotopians develop steady state systems and technologies.
▪ In a word, a steady state system is lively, even truly alive, like a Darwinian universe.
▪ There was no reasonable mechanism in the steady state theory to generate microwaves with such a spectrum.
▪ The proposal that gained widest support was called the steady state theory.
stream
▪ The docks were experiencing a boom in trade and all day long a steady stream of customers came and went.
▪ But until the weather here turns cool again and the race heats up, look for a steady stream of empty feints.
▪ Individuals frequently work in a number of different company environments and experience a steady stream of training and personal development.
▪ A steady stream of planks and tarpaper and logs was thumping the tree, pushing it farther over.
▪ This, of course, is a recipe for disaster, her attempts to please meeting with a steady stream of rebuffs.
▪ I4e was having a hard time still and his day was a steady stream of disappointments.
▪ Press and television men were invited to breakfast or lunch with Whitelaw in a steady stream.
▪ She had a steady stream of original questions about the world.
supply
▪ Keep them moist in a warm greenhouse or a corner of the kitchen, for a steady supply of fresh sprigs.
▪ For centuries, infants provided the poliovirus a steady supply of hosts, and open sewers delivered the disease to them.
▪ The wood therefore is constantly regenerated, yet also yields a steady supply of timber and grazing.
▪ You had a steady supply of companies whose assets were undervalued.
▪ He was now feeling pleasantly intoxicated from the effects of a steady supply of alcohol, which had lifted his flagging spirits.
▪ In each case the studios were able to produce a steady supply of good, sometimes amazing, films.
▪ A steady supply of films that audiences want to see is crucial to the continued success and growth of multiplexes.
▪ To ensure a steady supply of corporations who could be prosecuted, other liberal reforms need to be considered.
trickle
▪ In the meantime the steady trickle of deaths from wounds and sickness continued.
▪ However, in recent years Conservative ministers have been irritated by a steady trickle of government defeats in the Upper House.
▪ Tackle tips: A steady trickle of bait running into a swim will attract and keep fish feeding in one place.
▪ A fountain of blood at first pours from his chest, but soon subsides to become a steady trickle.
▪ It was wet, with a steady trickle of water in its base.
▪ The steady trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth was dripping from his chin on to his coat front.
work
▪ He appears to have given up steady work.
▪ I wish he had taken up some steady work.
▪ Having no steady work means Texas has little money for such luxuries, anyway.
▪ Sethe was laughing; he had a promise of steady work, 124 was cleared up from spirits.
▪ They paid paltry wages to jazz musicians but gave them steady work and much freedom over what they played.
▪ The United States has traditionally offered the poor relatively easy access to the middle class if they can find steady work.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(as) solid/steady as a rock
▪ It was as solid as rock.
▪ It was simply not admissible that something as blatantly solid as a rock could have come from the heavens.
▪ Peter was as steady as a rock, keeping the ball on the fairway and hitting nearly every green in regulation.
▪ Skipper Alan Kernaghan again led by example, with Nicky Mohan solid as a rock alongside him.
▪ The door was solid as rock.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ steady rain
▪ A steady stream of refugees arrived at the camp.
▪ Chen maintained a steady pace throughout the race.
▪ Economists say they expect continued steady growth throughout the year.
▪ Hold the ladder steady.
▪ It's important to keep the temperature of the oven at a steady high heat.
▪ Larger families were being rehoused at a steady rate.
▪ Marisol has made steady progress this year.
▪ She held on to hand rails to keep herself steady.
▪ the steady destruction of the forests
▪ The study also notes a steady decline in the number of college students taking science courses.
▪ We drove all day at a steady 65 miles an hour.
▪ We need a steady platform above the waves before we can start drilling.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ A steady stream of planks and tarpaper and logs was thumping the tree, pushing it farther over.
▪ Fong thought of the back room, warm with the steady breaths of Soo and the children.
▪ Hadn't they all agreed to keep to a nice, steady speed after the immediate getaway?
▪ His breaths got steadier, quieter.
▪ It starts at zero and eventually the galaxies are moving apart at a steady speed.
▪ Television has contributed to the steady decline of solemnity in the courtroom.
▪ The United States has traditionally offered the poor relatively easy access to the middle class if they can find steady work.
▪ They coped well with steady rain making me question the need for overtrousers in milder seasons.
II.verbCOLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
on
▪ C: Steady on, this is a public meeting.
■ NOUN
breath
▪ Tamar took a deep breath to steady her nerves before she replied.
▪ Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Peach slid through the french windows from the terrace.
▪ A few deep breaths to steady his racing pulse, and he was ready.
▪ Claudia drew a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves.
hand
▪ The Hare-woman's hands steadied the gun and she started to lift it, taking aim.
▪ She stumbled and he put out his hand to steady her.
▪ She gripped his hand to steady herself and felt the strong bones.
▪ Using his hands to steady himself, he managed to free his leg from the sucking morass.
▪ She knew Ember's hand would steady her elbow before it did.
hold
▪ It seemed to her that her mind was like an overfilled glass which only she could hold steady.
■ VERB
keep
▪ Could my fondness have kept you steady I should not now appear before you in this solemn manner.
▪ Phalen, at the University of San Diego, said she hopes to keep admissions steady.
▪ The two of us have a planet to ourselves. 9 I kept my voice steady.
try
▪ She tried to hold it steady.
▪ He pushed himself to his feet and tried to steady himself.
▪ He slipped on the stairs and smashed a glass panel as he tried to steady himself.
▪ He was killing time before his appointment, trying to steady his nerve.
▪ Now he held her, his plump hands with fingers like sausages trying to steady her.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(as) solid/steady as a rock
▪ It was as solid as rock.
▪ It was simply not admissible that something as blatantly solid as a rock could have come from the heavens.
▪ Peter was as steady as a rock, keeping the ball on the fairway and hitting nearly every green in regulation.
▪ Skipper Alan Kernaghan again led by example, with Nicky Mohan solid as a rock alongside him.
▪ The door was solid as rock.
ready, steady, go!
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ He stood up, holding on to the desk to steady himself.
▪ When she looked as though she was going to fall, Eddie's arm immediately went out to steady her.
▪ When the plane had steadied, Nancy went back to her seat.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ He steadied himself self-consciously, waving aside any further help.
▪ He held the boy's shoulders to steady him and Ben, startled and breathless, looked up into his face.
▪ He pushed himself to his feet and tried to steady himself.
▪ Once when they went round a corner she swayed against him and caught his arm to steady herself.
▪ She clutched the rail to steady herself, reached the deck and went to the closed doors of the lounge.
▪ The spectacle that confronted him was so overwhelming that he all but stumbled in alarm before the policeman caught and steadied him.
III.adverbCOLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ VERB
go
▪ Maybe they don't talk about going steady any more, he thought.
▪ Tell her you needed time with the idea of going steady, and you need time with this.
hold
▪ After long years of layoffs, steel employment is now holding steady, and output is up.
▪ Unemployment held steady at a low 5. 6 percent in December, Labor Department figures showed today.
▪ In both hands he held steady a glass tumbler drained to the ice.
remain
▪ San Antonio outlets reported a decrease in overall funding and fewer volunteers, though food donations remained steady.
▪ It rose by more than 70 percent among women and remained steady among men.
▪ Some primary care doctors' incomes have gone up slightly, and the others have seen their incomes remain steady.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ After long years of layoffs, steel employment is now holding steady, and output is up.
▪ Black burn looked port and spotted his brother rowing strong and steady, his dory still full of fish.
▪ My mind locks in: take it steady, keep cool and don't kick at the ice!
▪ Nigel Lawson, it seemed, was neither holding the pound steady abroad nor keeping down prices at home.
▪ Thus, slow and steady wins the race, but timing is everything.
IV.nounCOLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ VERB
go
▪ Somehow, the mention of marriage has strained even the sweet pleasure we found in going steady.
hold
▪ To pick up the reflected signals, the cellphone has to be held steady for a few seconds, says Lubecke.
▪ The wind and the cold made it impossible to hold steady over putts.
▪ It is gratifying to be able to report that our membership throughout the country has held steady in this critical period.
▪ He held that microphone steady with all his heart.
▪ Mr Moszkowski expects those returns to hold steady for the fourth and first quarters.
▪ The gain will be large enough, however, to hold the unemployment rate steady at 5. 6 percent.
▪ In the past two years, the council has held tuition steady while urging colleges to moderate fee increases.
▪ He has promised to hold defense spending steady.
keep
▪ It would have been everything just to keep her steady, facing that way, just to stay afloat.
▪ I concentrated on keeping steady the three-inch-long shard of what had once been part of a large perfect oval.
remain
▪ Packers have found it difficult to pass on any price increases to multiples with the result that retail tickets have remained steady.
V.interjectionEXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Steady! Watch what you're doing.