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poise
/pɔɪz/
graceful composure
Despite the chaos around her, the CEO maintained her poise and delivered a confident speech.
The CEO stayed calm and graceful even in a difficult situation, speaking with confidence.
formal
Graceful and balanced composure in manner or movement.
The ballerina's poise was evident in every graceful leap.
The ballerina showed perfect balance and elegance in every jump.
His poise under pressure impressed the interviewers.
He stayed calm and composed during the interview, which impressed the panel.
Often used to describe physical balance or mental composure in challenging situations.
technicalliterary
To be balanced or suspended; to hover.
The helicopter poised above the rooftop before landing.
The helicopter hovered steadily over the rooftop before touching down.
Common in aviation or literary descriptions of hovering.
formal
To prepare or position oneself for action.
The sprinter poised at the starting line, ready to run.
The sprinter stood at the starting line, mentally and physically prepared to begin the race.
Often used in sports or competitive contexts.
Collocations
poise and confidencegraceful self-assurancemaintain one's poisestay calm and composednatural poiseinnate gracefulness
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Using 'poise' vs 'composure'
'Poise' often implies a graceful, almost aesthetic quality to one's composure, while 'composure' is more neutral, simply meaning calmness. For example, a dancer's poise suggests elegance, whereas someone's composure might just mean they're not panicking.
Gold Rule
Poise is both noun and verb
As a noun, poise refers to a state of balance or composure. As a verb, it can mean to hover, suspend, or prepare oneself. Always check the context to determine the correct usage.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'poisen' (to weigh), from Old French 'poise' (weight), from Latin 'pensare' (to weigh, consider), from 'pendere' (to hang, weigh). The sense of composure emerged in the 17th century.
Usage Notes
Poise is often associated with elegance, control, and confidence. It can describe both physical balance (e.g., in dance or sports) and mental composure (e.g., in high-pressure situations). The verb form is less common but used in technical or literary contexts.
Word Breakdown
poise
balance or composure
rootEnglish Dictionary