Meanings
comparative more poised · superlative most poised
- Possessing poise, having self-confidence.
Synonyms: unruffled
- Ready, prepared.
He stood there, poised to act, and then suddenly he drew his gun in a smooth arc.
2 more examples
Amir stated that Rabin was a "pursuer" who was poised to spill the blood of many Jews by giving up control over part of the West Bank
2000, David Golinkin, “The Assassination Of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin Z"L”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 3, page 89A free-kick from Matthew Etherington caused more confusion on the stroke of half-time but Mehmet Aurelio was able to hook the ball clear with Cameron Jerome poised to strike.
2011 September 29, Tom Rostance, “Stoke 2 - 1 Besiktas”, in BBC Sport - Balanced, in position, in equilibrium.
The Titanic stands on end, poised briefly for the plunge.
1934 January, Hanson W[eightman] Baldwin, “R. M. S. Titanic”, in Harper’s Magazine, volume 168, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, section II, page 176, column 2
- participlepastsimple past and past participle of poise
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivePossessing poise, having self-confidence.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivemarked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
adjectivein full control of your faculties
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic مُتَأَهَّب, ّمُسْتَعِدّ
- مُتَأَهَّب (mutaʔahhab)ready, prepared
- ّمُسْتَعِدّready, prepared
- جَاهِز (jāhiz)ready, prepared
- تَوَازُن (tawāzun)balanced, in position, equilibrium
Czech připravený, přichystaný
- připravenýready, prepared
- přichystanýready, prepared
- vyrovnanýbalanced, in position, equilibrium
- klidnýbalanced, in position, equilibrium
Dutch zelfverzekerd, bereid
- zelfverzekerdpossessing poise, having self-confidence
- bereidready, prepared
Finnish itsevarma, valmis
- itsevarmapossessing poise, having self-confidence
- valmisready, prepared
French prêt
- prêtready, prepared
German im Gleichgewicht, selbstsicher
- im Gleichgewichtpossessing poise, having self-confidence
- selbstsicherpossessing poise, having self-confidence
- bereitready, prepared
- im Gleichgewichtbalanced, in position, equilibrium
- das Gleichgewicht haltendbalanced, in position, equilibrium
- ausbalanciertbalanced, in position, equilibrium
- in der Waagebalanced, in position, equilibrium
Hungarian józan, higgadt
- józanpossessing poise, having self-confidence
- higgadtpossessing poise, having self-confidence
- készready, prepared
- készenready, prepared
Italian composto, pronto
- compostopossessing poise, having self-confidence
- prontoready, prepared
Norwegian tilbøyelig
- tilbøyeligready, prepared
Romanian încrezător, gata
- încrezătorpossessing poise, having self-confidence
- gataready, prepared
- pregătitready, prepared
- cumpănitbalanced, in position, equilibrium
Russian равнове́сный
- равнове́сный (ravnovésnyj)balanced, in position, equilibrium
Spanish bien compuesto, de / con buena compostura
- bien compuestopossessing poise, having self-confidence
- de / con buena composturapossessing poise, having self-confidence
- listoready, prepared
- listocoready, prepared
- preparadoready, prepared
- prestoready, prepared
- aprestadoready, prepared
- aparejadoready, prepared
Swedish beredd, redo
- bereddready, prepared
- redoready, prepared
Ukrainian врівноважений, зібраний
- врівноважений (vrivnovaženyj)possessing poise, having self-confidence
- зібраний (zibranyj)possessing poise, having self-confidence
- готовий (hotovyj)ready, prepared
- збалансований (zbalansovanyj)balanced, in position, equilibrium
- зрівноважений (zrivnovaženyj)balanced, in position, equilibrium
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
poised. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poised
“poised.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poised. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “poised,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poised.
Source: poised on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.