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
Now Schaffer is trying to sneak the same high-grade, unadulterated fun into a major motion picture, with a steely Neeson as its guise.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2025
Giants this weekend, then the Padres from July 28-30 — kept afloat by its steely overachievers on the mound.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2025
The steely blue, flesh-and-blood missile vaulted 10, 15, then 20 feet against the sky, then crashed home on its side in a shimmering explosion.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
Alex Williams, an Indiana native with a mesmerizing, Stapleton-like baritone and a steely gaze, found himself in the middle of that search.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
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David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2025
Giants this weekend, then the Padres from July 28-30 — kept afloat by its steely overachievers on the mound.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2025
The steely blue, flesh-and-blood missile vaulted 10, 15, then 20 feet against the sky, then crashed home on its side in a shimmering explosion.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
Alex Williams, an Indiana native with a mesmerizing, Stapleton-like baritone and a steely gaze, found himself in the middle of that search.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
steely
adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness
noun
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