POISED Synonyms: 178 Similar and Opposite Words

poised 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of poised

as in confident

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

as in hovering

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

poised

2 of 2

verb

past tense of poise

as in braced

to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hovered

to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air the falcon poised in the air for an instant before diving to attack its prey

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of poised

Adjective

Growing up a ballet dancer, Geier is very poised, mindful, and demure. — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 7 May 2026 So my oldest, Richard, is super poised and has always sort of been the rock for our family. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2026

Verb

Shelton Henderson poised for a sophomore breakout Shelton Henderson was an instrumental piece on Lucas’ first team at Miami last season. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026 But if these early patterns hold up, Cupertino and Line of Fire are poised to draw audiences well above their same-day audiences. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poised

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poised

Adjective

If Taipei refrains from crossing the ultimate red line of declaring formal independence, Beijing appears confident in its long-term strategy of integration.

— Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
In short, analysts are confident that music streaming services such as Spotify can enforce strict account policies, raise prices, and still make more money.

— Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of confident

Adjective

The drones then find the best hovering altitude before each lining up to spray the fire, one after the other.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026
He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026

Definition of hovering

Verb

Some senators fled while others braced themselves inside the Senate chamber as Officer Eugene Goodman tried to reason with the mob, and Senate staffers barricaded themselves in offices, hiding.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Fans braced for chaos, but the biggest protests had been moved to the city’s outskirts.

— Albert Samaha, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of braced

Adjective

The British singer, 27, composed and co-wrote the lyrics with Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang, according to the song credits on Spotify.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
The Emma style, a more composed and sensible block-heel pump, is for Elinor (Edgar-Jones).

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of composed

Adjective

The set of three miniature lights each features a vintage hanging-lantern design that looks straight out of a storybook and casts a warm gold glow across your collection.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
Opt for bigger hanging bulbs, discrete flickers, or even hanging sheaths.

— Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of hanging

Verb

With the supply chain, Veja has fortified its relationships with suppliers and vendors.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Japan considers China's rapidly growing military activities in and around Japan, including in the Pacific Ocean, as a threat and has fortified its southwestern region with longer-range missiles and interceptors in recent years.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of fortified

Verb

The Giants had a chance to take the lead after that but Dominic Zvada’s 44-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Needing 11 yards on fourth down to continue their drive and cut into a 23-7 Packers lead, Prescott narrowly avoided a sack before lofting a pass that sailed out the back of the end zone, not close to any particular Cowboys receiver.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of sailed

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poise

poised

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Style

“Poised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poised. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of poised

adjective

verb

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