steer
/stiə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To control the direction of a moving vehicle or vessel: To guide the course of something like a car, ship, or bicycle.
- To guide or influence the direction of something non-physical: To direct the course of events, a discussion, or a person's behavior or choices.
Noun:
- A young castrated male bovine animal: Specifically, a young bull that has been castrated, raised primarily for beef.
- A piece of advice or information: (Informal) A tip or suggestion meant to guide someone.
Examples of Usage
Verb:
- You need to steer the car carefully on icy roads.
- The CEO tried to steer the conversation away from the company's financial losses.
- A good teacher can steer students toward success.
Noun:
- The farmer raised several steers for market.
- He gave me a good steer about which stocks to buy.
Advanced Usage
"to steer clear of (someone/something)": To deliberately avoid someone or something because they are dangerous, problematic, or undesirable.
- I always steer clear of that neighborhood at night.
- You should steer clear of getting involved in office gossip.
"to steer a middle course": To choose a moderate path or policy, avoiding extremes.
- In the debate, the politician tried to steer a middle course to appeal to both sides.
Variants and Related Words
- Steering (n): The mechanism or action of controlling direction.
- The car's steering is very responsive.
- Steersman (n): A person who steers a ship or boat.
- Steerage (n): Historically, the part of a ship providing the cheapest accommodations for passengers; also, the act of steering.
Synonyms
- Verb: Guide, direct, pilot, navigate, control, maneuver.
- Noun (animal): Bullock, ox.
- Noun (advice): Tip, hint, pointer, suggestion.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Steer toward/away from: To guide or move in the direction of something or away from it.
- The counselor steered her toward a career in science.
- He steered the project away from its original, risky plan.
Related Idioms
- Steer the ship: To be in charge or to lead an organization or group.
- As the new manager, her job is to steer the ship through these difficult times.
- Take the steering wheel: To take control of a situation.
- When the project started to fail, she had to take the steering wheel.
Noun
- castrated bull
- an indication of potential opportunity
- he got a tip on the stock market
- a good lead for a job
Verb
- be a guiding or motivating force or drive
- The teacher steered the gifted students towards the more challenging courses
- direct (oneself) somewhere
- Steer clear of him
- direct the course; determine the direction of travelling