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
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 deep glacial lakes are perfect for the loon, which can deftly dive to 100 feet or more to grab its prey of mostly fish.
—
Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
Autonomous underwater vehicles called gliders were also deployed to study the impacts of glacial meltwater on the physical and chemical properties of the region.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025
Glaciers around the globe are disappearing faster than ever, with the largest glacial mass loss on record taking place in the last three years, according to a UNESCO report.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
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Within glacial ice sheets, there are streams of ice, sometimes called ice rivers, that move much faster than the surrounding ice.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glacial
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Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
Autonomous underwater vehicles called gliders were also deployed to study the impacts of glacial meltwater on the physical and chemical properties of the region.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025
Glaciers around the globe are disappearing faster than ever, with the largest glacial mass loss on record taking place in the last three years, according to a UNESCO report.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
Within glacial ice sheets, there are streams of ice, sometimes called ice rivers, that move much faster than the surrounding ice.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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
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