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
Synonyms
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
The rock and ice of the core have been extensively studied, but the three inches of glacial till at the bottom of the core had been previously overlooked.
—
Carly Miller, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
Overall, the researchers find that the global mean temperature has likely varied from a low of about 11° C, seen in the recent glacial periods, up to a high of 36° C, seen about 90 million years ago, though similar extremes were seen during the PETM.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2024
Thwaites retreated up to three times faster than the present, says Julia Wellner, a glacial geologist at the University of Houston.
—Bypaul Voosen, science.org, 19 Sep. 2024
While in the field with his students, Cotter says their main focus is often Cretaceous or glacial geology.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glacial 
Carly Miller, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
Overall, the researchers find that the global mean temperature has likely varied from a low of about 11° C, seen in the recent glacial periods, up to a high of 36° C, seen about 90 million years ago, though similar extremes were seen during the PETM.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2024
Thwaites retreated up to three times faster than the present, says Julia Wellner, a glacial geologist at the University of Houston.
—Bypaul Voosen, science.org, 19 Sep. 2024
While in the field with his students, Cotter says their main focus is often Cretaceous or glacial geology.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glacial
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glacial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
glacial
adjective
gla·cial
ˈglā-shəl 
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share