glacial

adjective

gla·​cial ˈglā-shəl How to pronounce glacial (audio)
1
: suggestive of ice: such as
a
: extremely cold : frigid
a glacial wind
b
: devoid of warmth and cordiality
a glacial handshake
c
: coldly imperturbable
maintained a glacial calm
2
: of a purity marked by the tendency to readily solidify in the form of ice-like crystals
glacial acetic acid
3
a(1)
: of, relating to, or being any of those parts of geologic time from Precambrian onward when a much larger portion of the earth was covered by glaciers than at present
(2)
capitalized : pleistocene
b
: of, relating to, or produced by glaciers
c
: suggestive of the very slow movement of glaciers
progress on the bill has been glacial
glacially adverb

Examples of glacial in a Sentence

Progress on the bill has been glacial. a glacial weather front coming down from Canada will bring freezing temperatures this weekend
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Like the old adage about waiting a long time for a bus only to have three show up at once, Dries Van Noten — nearly glacial in the past regarding store openings — has four in the cards this year. Miles Socha, WWD, 25 Feb. 2025 Major DoD weapons development programs that have been completed in the last few years have taken an average of 11 years from start to finish, three years behind already glacial plans, according to a 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office. Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025 The family felt the e-commerce giant was a poor home for the elegant secret agent and bristled at its efforts to expand the scope of the franchise, while Amazon executives were frustrated by the glacial pace of getting a new film off the ground, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025 What does disappoint is the story's initial, glacial, pace. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for glacial

Word History

Etymology

Latin glacialis, from glacies

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glacial was in 1656

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Cite this Entry

“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

glacial

adjective
gla·​cial ˈglā-shəl How to pronounce glacial (audio)
1
a
: extremely cold : frigid
b
: lacking warmth of feeling
2
a
: of, relating to, or produced by glaciers
b
: of, relating to, or being any of those parts of geologic time when a large portion of the earth was covered by glaciers
c
capitalized : pleistocene

More from Merriam-Webster on glacial

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