steadied

Steadied is the past tense and past participle of the verb steady. In general, to steady means to make something more stable or balanced, or to calm oneself. The term can be used transitively, as in "She steadied the ladder against the wall," or intransitively, as in "She steadied herself and took a step." In the passive voice, it can appear as "The ship was steadied by the ballast" or "The camera was steadied with a strap." The concept also appears in figurative uses, such as "to steady one's nerves" or "to steady a vote" to indicate increased stability or consistency.

Etymology and form: steadied derives from steady, which conveys firmness or regularity. The noun stead refers to position or place, and the adjective steady describes something that is firm or reliable; steadied is the corresponding past tense form.

Contexts and usage: nautical and aviation contexts describe actions that reduce motion or irregularity through helm, ballast, or stabilizers. In photography and filmmaking, stabilizers and careful handling steadied shots. In medicine and sports, steady breathing or a steadied aim improves precision and control. Common collocations include steady hand, steadying motion, and steadied pace.

Examples: The captain steadied the ship as the storm abated. She steadied her hand before firing. He steadied the camera to capture a clear image.