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poised
/pɔɪzd/
ready and prepared
She was poised to answer the question confidently.
She was ready and prepared to answer the question with confidence.
formal
Ready and prepared for something.
The team is poised for victory after months of training.
The team is ready and prepared to win after extensive preparation.
He stood poised at the starting line, waiting for the race to begin.
He stood in a state of readiness at the starting line, prepared to begin the race.
Often used to describe someone's mental or emotional readiness, not just physical preparation.
formal
Having a calm, confident, and dignified manner.
Despite the chaos around her, she remained poised and composed.
Despite the surrounding chaos, she maintained a calm and dignified demeanor.
The ballerina's poised movements captivated the audience.
The ballerina's graceful and confident movements captivated the audience.
Describes a person's demeanor or behavior, emphasizing elegance and self-control.
Collocations
poised forready for a particular situation or actionpoised toabout to do something important or significantremain poisedstay calm and composed despite challenges
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'poise'
'Poised' is the adjective form, while 'poise' is the noun (e.g., 'She handled the situation with poise').
Gold Rule
Use 'poised' for readiness and composure
Use 'poised' to describe someone who is mentally or emotionally ready for a challenge, or who maintains a calm and dignified demeanor.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'poised' (balanced), from Old French 'pois' (weight), from Latin 'pensum' (something weighed), past participle of 'pendere' (to weigh). The sense of being balanced or ready emerged in the 17th century.
Usage Notes
Commonly used in both formal and literary contexts. Often describes mental readiness or composure rather than physical preparation.
Word Breakdown
poise
balance or composure
root-ed
past participle suffix indicating a state or condition
suffixEnglish Dictionary