steady hand

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A hand that does not shake, especially when doing careful work.

   Grammar: Countable, so it can take 'a' or 'the': 'a steady hand', 'the surgeon's steady hand'.

   Patterns

   • a steady hand
   • with a steady hand
   • need a steady hand

   Painting the tiny letters requires a steady hand.

   He held the camera with a steady hand and took the shot.

   After two cups of coffee, I didn't have a very steady hand.

2. 2nounsingularfigurative

   Calm and reliable control of a situation, especially in a crisis.

   Grammar: Usually used in the singular with 'a' or 'the': 'the steady hand of the chairman'.

   Patterns

   • the steady hand of someone
   • provide a steady hand
   • need a steady hand

   The country needs a steady hand at the wheel during this crisis.

   Investors were looking for a steady hand to lead the company.

   She provided a steady hand when the project was falling apart.

Word forms

Common combinations

a steady hand

You need a steady hand to thread this needle.

with a steady hand

She signed the document with a steady hand.

the steady hand of someone

The steady hand of the coach kept the team calm.

a steady hand on the wheel

Voters want a steady hand on the wheel.

Synonyms and how they differ

firm hand

Suggests strong, sometimes strict control; 'steady hand' stresses calm reliability rather than strength.

safe pair of hands

A British idiom meaning a reliable person; it describes the person, while 'steady hand' can describe the control itself.

Word family

steady adjective

Firm, regular and not shaking or changing.

steadily adverb

In a firm, regular way; without shaking or stopping.

steadiness noun

The quality of being firm, regular and calm.

Commonly confused: steady hand or steady hand?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “steady hand”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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