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
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
An aerial perspective of glacial calving reveals an unexpected organic pattern in the water in Greenland’s Northeast Greenland National Park.
—
Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Go to Mercantour National Park Just 90 minutes north of Nice, this national park has mountains, glacial lakes, and skiing to rival those of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, but with fewer visitors (and much lower prices).
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 24 June 2025
After two years in a row of destructive glacial flooding, Juneau is scrambling to erect temporary flood barriers ahead of the next melting season, the Anchorage Daily News reported this week.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
But as Trump’s legislative agenda stumbled through Congress at a glacial pace, the cracks started to form.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for glacial
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Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Go to Mercantour National Park Just 90 minutes north of Nice, this national park has mountains, glacial lakes, and skiing to rival those of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, but with fewer visitors (and much lower prices).
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 24 June 2025
After two years in a row of destructive glacial flooding, Juneau is scrambling to erect temporary flood barriers ahead of the next melting season, the Anchorage Daily News reported this week.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
But as Trump’s legislative agenda stumbled through Congress at a glacial pace, the cracks started to form.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 18 Jul. 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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