steelier; steeliest
1
: resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness)
steely determination
steely blue
2
: made of steel
steeliness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of steely in a Sentence
a thief with steely nerves
He had a steely determination to succeed.
She gave him a steely gaze.
a sky filled with steely gray clouds
the judge's steely blue eyes
Recent Examples on the Web
Thatcher gets to explore a few different directions for Iris over the course of Companion, including numbing dullness, canny super-expertise, and steely aggression on par with the Terminator.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025
On her latest album, Twigs brings her steely avant-pop to the club but loses none of her mystique.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
In the footage, Cole spends most of his playtime with a steely gaze, occasionally punctuating a star grab by wiping his hands clean of sweat.
—Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025
Sensing no use for them, Red Feather’s warriors slit their throats — except for the throat of the one with the steely gaze and defiant words to match: Abish.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for steely 
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.
David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025
On her latest album, Twigs brings her steely avant-pop to the club but loses none of her mystique.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
In the footage, Cole spends most of his playtime with a steely gaze, occasionally punctuating a star grab by wiping his hands clean of sweat.
—Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025
Sensing no use for them, Red Feather’s warriors slit their throats — except for the throat of the one with the steely gaze and defiant words to match: Abish.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for steely
Dictionary Entries Near steely
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
steely
adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share