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)
Glacial
: 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
Ascending the mountain to its glacial peak is often a bucket-list entry, but mountaineering experience is required and most climbers will launch their final push from Camp Muir.
—
Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Adam Sandler’s Click in song form—was overly glacial, until Gud’s sporadic bursts of ticking hi-hats hit like a downpour in the middle of a heatwave.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
For millennia, glacial ice and freezing temperatures protected Ötzi’s body — and microbes — from degradation and decay.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
The clamor to protect nature has grown sharper as India sees a rise in heatwaves, glacial floods and extreme rainfall in recent years.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for glacial
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Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Adam Sandler’s Click in song form—was overly glacial, until Gud’s sporadic bursts of ticking hi-hats hit like a downpour in the middle of a heatwave.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
For millennia, glacial ice and freezing temperatures protected Ötzi’s body — and microbes — from degradation and decay.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
The clamor to protect nature has grown sharper as India sees a rise in heatwaves, glacial floods and extreme rainfall in recent years.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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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