poisedadjective
uk/pɔɪzd/us/pɔɪzd/poised adjective (WAITING)
[ after verb ] If an object or a part of your body is poised, it is completely still but ready to move at any moment:
My pencil was poised over the page, ready to take down her words.
[ after verb ] ready to do a particular thing at any moment:
[ + to infinitive ] The company is poised to launch its new advertising campaign.
The military forces are poised for attack.
More examples
- She watched a little white bird, poised on a branch and fluttering its wings.
- He sat with his pencil poised, ready to take notes.
- Her finger was poised on the camera as she waited for them to take their positions.
- The two guards stood poised with their shields and swords raised.
- They stood their waiting, poised for action.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Ready and willing
- agreeable
- amenable
- at sb's beck and call idiom
- at your command idiom
- be good to go idiom
- command
- disposed
- eager
- fain
- find it in your heart to do sth idiom
- game
- gamely
- keen
- raring
- readily
- readiness
- ready
- ripe for sth idiom
- shape
- speed
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poised adjective (CONTROLLED)
approving showing very calm and controlled behaviour
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Calm and relaxed
- (as) cool as a cucumber idiom
- at (your) leisure idiom
- be at peace with the world idiom
- carefree
- careless
- comfort
- comfortably
- easy come, easy go idiom
- easy-going
- equilibrium
- free-flowing
- genteel
- harmonious
- lamb
- peaceful
- quiescent
- relaxed
- rested
- sangfroid
- self-possession
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