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
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.
The player who so often can’t resist the attention that comes with the circus of his own making gets replaced with the steely assassin required to grasp the enormity of the task of taking on Alcaraz. Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025 Despite her character’s steely, cold-blooded exterior, Park emphasizes that No-eul is someone who is desperately seeking dignity and human connection. Sara Merican, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025 In a photo Estrada used to announce a reward for his capture, Wedding had long, stringy hair that seemed to be thinning, steely blue eyes, and a beard. Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2025 In what may well be a spy movie for actual adults, director Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp concoct a moody drama steeped in espionage, marital trust issues and, one hopes, prime opportunities for playing the pause, the side-eye and the steely glare along with the words. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for steely 

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 27 Jan. 2025.

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!