glacial

adjective

gla·​cial ˈglā-shəl 

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)

Glacial : 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

ˈglā-shə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of glacial

• icy
• freezing
• frigid
• cold
• chilly
• chill
• cool

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 glacial beats and the near-silent raps full of heartbreak and drugs are best absorbed through headphones. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026

The relatively stable climate humanity has enjoyed since the end of the last glacial period has meant that historic extremes typically fall within a relatively narrow range. — ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026

And atop the mountains, slow-moving rivers of glacial ice carve their way downhill. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 15 July 2026

While, sure, AI could eventually compress decades of scientific progress into years, biology’s inherent complexity and glacial timelines mean that future remains years away. — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 6 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin glacialis, from glacies

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for glacial

• facial
• racial
• spacial
• spatial
• bifacial
• biracial
• palatial
• postglacial
• preglacial
• subglacial
• craniofacial
• interfacial

Kids 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