steely

adjective

ˈstē-lē 

steelier; steeliest

1

: resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness)

steely determination

steely blue

2

: made of steel

steeliness noun

Synonyms of steely

• gruff
• stern
• fierce
• grim
• rugged
• intimidating

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

His glare was still there, steely and intentional. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 May 2026

Coley and the audience know this isn’t true, but Sonya’s clenched jaw and steely gaze don’t leave room for questions. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Chow Yun-fat stars as a steely, toothpick-chewing detective who seeks vengeance after gun smugglers kill his partner. — Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026

To browse her collections is to be confronted with the full spectrum of colors offered by the gem, from vibrant gold and soft lavender, to steely grey and rich plum. — Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for steely

• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• vilely
• ideally
• lapilli
• swahili
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili
• microvilli

Kids Definition

steely

adjective

ˈstē-lē 

steelier; steeliest

1

: made of steel

2

: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)

a steely gaze

steeliness noun