steely

steely

adjective \ˈstē-lē\

steel·i·ersteel·i·est

Definition of STEELY

1

: resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness) <steely determination> <steely blue>

2

: made of steel

— steel·i·ness noun

Examples of STEELY

1. a thief with steely nerves
2. He had a steely determination to succeed.
3. She gave him a steely gaze.
4. a sky filled with steely gray clouds
5. the judge's steely blue eyes

First Known Use of STEELY

1509

Related to STEELY

Synonyms

austere, dour, fierce, flinty, forbidding, gruff, intimidating, lowering (also louring), rough, rugged, severe, stark, grim, stern, ungentle

Antonyms

benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating, tender

Related Words

bleak, cold, hostile, inhospitable, inimical, unfriendly, unsympathetic; adamant, bound, determined, firm, intent, purposeful, resolute, resolved, steadfast, unflinching; fixed, hard, hardened, hardheaded, immovable, implacable, inflexible, ironhanded, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, self-willed, set, stiff, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful); immutable, unchangeable; black, cheerless, dark, gloomy, glum, joyless, melancholic, moody, morose, sulky, sullen, surly; brooding, grave, humorless, melancholy, serious, sober, sobersided, solemn, somber (or sombre), staid, unsmiling, weighty

Near Antonyms

bland, meek, mellow, soft, soothing; easy, quiet, tranquil; agreeable, bright, cheerful, inviting, pleasant, pleasing, sweet; glad, happy, lighthearted, merry, mirthful, sunny; featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, playful, scatterbrained, silly

Rhymes with STEELY

dele, eely, Ely, freely, mealy, seely, steelie, stele, vealy, wheelie