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
Steele’s performance as the evil, immortal witch will make your blood run cold, with her steely distance contrasting with the movie’s lush black-and-white cinematography.
—
Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Of the three, McGuinness was the most steely and direct.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
Her identity is confined to her attitude, her steely spikes of hair a warning not to get too close.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
Hamza Malik, a bumbling Intelligence and Threats official, gets his ass handed to him by his superior, a steely, very tall man with a Bond-villain demeanor who all but steps on Malik’s neck.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
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Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Of the three, McGuinness was the most steely and direct.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
Her identity is confined to her attitude, her steely spikes of hair a warning not to get too close.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
Hamza Malik, a bumbling Intelligence and Threats official, gets his ass handed to him by his superior, a steely, very tall man with a Bond-villain demeanor who all but steps on Malik’s neck.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
steely
adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness
noun
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