steelier; steeliest
1
: resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness)
steely determination
steely blue
2
: made of steel
steeliness noun

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
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.
Brad Pitt, 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' (2020) In Quentin Tarantino’s alt-history fable, Pitt plays a steely stunt double equally adept at fixing TV antennas or dealing with the Manson Family, all with a grin on his weathered face. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025 And on Sunday, Vladislav Goldin had the steely third-chance bucket to edge out Ohio St. Danny Wolf has been superb — averaging around 17 points, 11 boards, three assists and two blocks in his last five outings. Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025 Her understanding of her body and her steely gaze has only deepened since then, culminating in her Best Actress win at the Academy Awards for 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025 With Witherspoon’s classic steely determination, Margot resolves to throw Neve the perfect wedding. Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for steely

Word History

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of steely was in 1509

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

steely

adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on steely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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