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
Like the old adage about waiting a long time for a bus only to have three show up at once, Dries Van Noten — nearly glacial in the past regarding store openings — has four in the cards this year.
—
Miles Socha, WWD, 25 Feb. 2025
Major DoD weapons development programs that have been completed in the last few years have taken an average of 11 years from start to finish, three years behind already glacial plans, according to a 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office.
—Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The family felt the e-commerce giant was a poor home for the elegant secret agent and bristled at its efforts to expand the scope of the franchise, while Amazon executives were frustrated by the glacial pace of getting a new film off the ground, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
What does disappoint is the story's initial, glacial, pace.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glacial
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Miles Socha, WWD, 25 Feb. 2025
Major DoD weapons development programs that have been completed in the last few years have taken an average of 11 years from start to finish, three years behind already glacial plans, according to a 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office.
—Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The family felt the e-commerce giant was a poor home for the elegant secret agent and bristled at its efforts to expand the scope of the franchise, while Amazon executives were frustrated by the glacial pace of getting a new film off the ground, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
What does disappoint is the story's initial, glacial, pace.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 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 12 Mar. 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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