poise

1 of 3

verb

poised; poising

transitive verb

1
a
: balance
especially : to hold or carry in equilibrium
carried a water jar poised on her head
b
: to hold supported or suspended without motion in a steady position
poised her fork and gave her guest a knowing lookLouis Bromfield
2
: to hold or carry (the head) in a particular way
3
: to put into readiness : brace

intransitive verb

1
: to become drawn up into readiness
2
: hover

poise

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a stably balanced state : equilibrium
a poise between widely divergent impulsesF. R. Leavis
2
a
: easy self-possessed assurance of manner : gracious tact in coping or handling
also : the pleasantly tranquil interaction between persons of poise
no angry outbursts marred the poise of the meeting
b
: a particular way of carrying oneself : bearing, carriage

poise

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a centimeter-gram-second unit of viscosity equal to the viscosity of a fluid that would require a shearing force of one dyne to impart to a one-square-centimeter area of an arbitrary layer of the fluid a velocity of one centimeter per second relative to another layer separated from the first by a distance of one centimeter
Choose the Right Synonym for poise

tact, address, poise, savoir faire mean skill and grace in dealing with others.

tact implies delicate and considerate perception of what is appropriate.

questions showing a lack of tact

address stresses dexterity and grace in dealing with new and trying situations and may imply success in attaining one's ends.

brought it off with remarkable address

poise may imply both tact and address but stresses self-possession and ease in meeting difficult situations.

answered the accusations with unruffled poise

savoir faire is likely to stress worldly experience and a sure awareness of what is proper or expedient.

the savoir faire of a seasoned traveler

Examples of poise in a Sentence

Verb She poised her pencil above the paper and waited for the signal to begin writing. the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
When Part 2 picks up, Simon is poised to start a career on his own. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2024 Iowa and Caitlin Clark are poised for another Final Four run, with LSU's Angel Reese, Stanford's Cameron Brink, Connecticut's Paige Bueckers and South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao hoping to stand in the way of Clark's first national title. USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Big-box retail giants like Target and Walmart may be poised to succeed in this environment. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024 Under Modi’s leadership, India is poised to become a 21st-century powerhouse as its economy rapidly expands. Rhea Mogul, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 However, the fundamental technologies enabling new engines are now poised to take these once government-only reusable hypersonic vehicles into commercial applications. Sassie Duggleby, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 But synthetic media seems poised to act as an amplifier—a vehicle to exacerbate the misgivings, biases, and gut feelings of anyone with an internet connection. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 Instead, the center-right Social Democrats appeared poised to forge a minority government with the aid of a party of fiscal conservatives that landed in fourth place. Catarina Fernandes Martins, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Celebrating its third anniversary, the Virginia 420 Festival is poised to revolutionize the festival landscape with its first-ever dual-location event, placing Virginia on center stage of international cannabis news. Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Can the team maintain poise and excellence over a grueling two-month tournament? Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024 Stone, for her part, handled the moment with poise. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 The poise is gone, and there’s a kind of fun camaraderie with his costars in its place. EW.com, 18 Feb. 2024 That speaks volumes to the Thunder’s ability to stay locked in throughout the season and maintain poise. Nick Crain, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Or you may be lured by it, drawn to it, inching closer to study every fine detail of composition, the faultless poise with which each element confirms the necessary presence of the others. Longreads, 11 Jan. 2024 Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards and the linemen in front of them looked poise to make fast work of the Huskies. Eric Olson, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 The actor John Maria Gutierrez, even when disguised as a white businessman in a full-face mask, turns precipitate falls into rolls and handstands; the elegant Marcus McGregor, who danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Feld Ballet, demonstrates the cautious poise of a fawn. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024 Returning to this record then, with its new polish and poise, is a kind of homecoming celebration. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to weigh, ponder, from Anglo-French peiser, poiser, from Latin pensare — more at pensive

Noun (1)

Middle English poyse weight, heaviness, from Anglo-French peis, pois, from Latin pensum, from neuter of pensus, past participle of pendere to weigh — more at pendant

Noun (2)

French, from Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille †1869 French physician and anatomist

First Known Use

Verb

1597, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poise was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near poise

Cite this Entry

“Poise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poise. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

poise

1 of 2 verb
poised; poising
1
a
: balance entry 2 sense 5
especially : to hold or make firm or steady by balancing
b
: to hold without motion in a steady position : hover
a bird poised in the air
2
: to put into readiness : brace
poised for action

poise

2 of 2 noun
1
2
a
: a dignified self-confident manner
a speaker of great poise
b
: a way of carrying oneself : bearing

Medical Definition

poise

noun
: a cgs unit of viscosity equal to the viscosity of a fluid that would require a shearing force of one dyne to impart to a one square-centimeter area of an arbitrary layer of the fluid a velocity of one centimeter per second relative to another layer separated from the first by a distance of one centimeter

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