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
Synonyms
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
About 35 miles east of Vatnajökull, travelers can find Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon that sits between the base of the glacier and the Norwegian Sea.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 14 Jan. 2025
Glacial Lake Saginaw, glacial Lake Maumee, glacial Lake Chicago, and the creation of the Great Lakes.
—John McPhee, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Today, the bay has 11 percent less glacial ice than in the 1950s.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
One of the primary issues is the glacial pace of decision-making.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for glacial 
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Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 14 Jan. 2025
Glacial Lake Saginaw, glacial Lake Maumee, glacial Lake Chicago, and the creation of the Great Lakes.
—John McPhee, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Today, the bay has 11 percent less glacial ice than in the 1950s.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
One of the primary issues is the glacial pace of decision-making.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for glacial
Dictionary Entries Near glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 24 Jan. 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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