glacial

adjective

gla·​cial ˈglā-shəl How to pronounce glacial (audio)
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
glacially adverb

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
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.
Huge boulders — referred to as glacial erratics that were carried by glaciers during the last Ice Age — dot the landscape that’s forested with red maple, spruce and Canadian hemlock. Jeanine Barone, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 Cocktails lean nostalgic too, whether memories drift back to icy cold martinis — here shaken until glacial with manzanilla olive brine and sea salt — or cosmos mixed with Grand Marnier. Between the lines: Starr noticed a post-pandemic hunger for nostalgia. Anna Spiegel, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025 The erosion of glacial slopes also heightens the likelihood of floods, landslides and avalanches, increasing the risk to millions living in mountain communities. Kathleen Magramo and Esha Mitra, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025 With the ice gone, the crust is slowly rising again, in a process called glacial isostatic rebound. Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for glacial

Word History

Etymology

Latin glacialis, from glacies

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glacial was in 1656

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

glacial

adjective
gla·​cial ˈglā-shəl How to pronounce glacial (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on glacial

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