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 Steele’s performance as the evil, immortal witch will make your blood run cold, with her steely distance contrasting with the movie’s lush black-and-white cinematography. Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 While the filming process may have left the actress feeling glum, her turn as the steely editor earned her multiple accolades — including a SAG award nomination and an Oscar nod. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 Lady Bird narrates the grisly events of that day — the day of Kennedy’s assassination — in her native Texan drawl: soft, lilting, touched with sadness but also steely resolve. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023 Such a revered figure due to his belligerent batting at the top of the order and calm but steely leadership, Rohit has one more chance to lift one of cricket's most prestigious trophies and cement his name in Indian cricket lore. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Prince William, the heir to the British throne, stepped back onto the public stage Wednesday, trying to project a steely sense of normalcy, two days after the announcement that his father, King Charles III, had been struck by cancer. Mark Landler, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 But River’s complexity is a fine match for Fanning, who honed her comedic skills on The Great and brings that same level of steely charm to the role of River. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2023 Haley’s answer when asked to praise DeSantis was…weirdly steely? Nr Staff, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024 The inexhaustible Rachel Chavkin directs, which feels right for a musical about a steely, glamorous woman barnstorming through the art world. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of steely was in 1509

Dictionary Entries Near steely

Cite this Entry

“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

steely

adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on steely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!