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
Lellouche, who is about ten years older than Moulin was at the time, is mostly steely and stony-faced.
—
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
To browse her collections is to be confronted with the full spectrum of colors offered by the gem, from vibrant gold and soft lavender, to steely grey and rich plum.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The sluggish living makes sense for steely behemoths that live comfortably into their 200s and possible to 400 or more.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
Oettinger stopped 40 shots in another steely performance in his home state.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steely
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.
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
To browse her collections is to be confronted with the full spectrum of colors offered by the gem, from vibrant gold and soft lavender, to steely grey and rich plum.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The sluggish living makes sense for steely behemoths that live comfortably into their 200s and possible to 400 or more.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
Oettinger stopped 40 shots in another steely performance in his home state.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steely
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
steely
adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
