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
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
But faced with glacial progress on front lines in Ukraine, and with Russia’s defenses now dealing with drone attacks striking deep into its territory, Putin’s commitments to keep his war machine running are likely going nowhere.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
The valley floor is silt and loess left by the ice-age Missoula Floods, the glacial-lake megafloods that repeatedly drowned the region.
—
Paul Caputo,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The Knik River Valley has everything from glacial hikes to horseback rides and dog sledding.
—
Brandon Withrow,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2026
Far from the bright lights of the Big Apple, this stretch of upstate charm is defined by 11 glacial lakes connected by meandering country roads.
—
Taryn White,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for glacial
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Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
The valley floor is silt and loess left by the ice-age Missoula Floods, the glacial-lake megafloods that repeatedly drowned the region.
—
Paul Caputo,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The Knik River Valley has everything from glacial hikes to horseback rides and dog sledding.
—
Brandon Withrow,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2026
Far from the bright lights of the Big Apple, this stretch of upstate charm is defined by 11 glacial lakes connected by meandering country roads.
—
Taryn White,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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