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.
Vitor Pereira arrived at Molineux a virtual unknown in December, but has mustered the steely composure to transform Wolves’ leaky defence while presenting himself as a loose cannon on the touchline. Steve Madeley, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025 Kilmer’s specialty was giving the audience glimpses of intellect and compassion behind his steely gaze. Cruise, on the other hand, could never have pulled off Iceman. John Devore, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025 Naperville North senior right-hander Yash Desai is already known as a steely competitor. Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025 The novel, set in the late 1990s, follows Ramona and Grace, two aspiring actresses who get accepted into the titular academy, a school run by the company Dahlen Entertainment and its steely founder, Genevieve Spalding. Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 13 Apr. 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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