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
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
Nguyen has a steely quality that seems equally rooted in brashness and self-consciousness.
—
Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
The White Princess revolves around Woodville’s daughter, also named Elizabeth, who is played, in the franchise’s standout performance, by a steely Jodie Comer.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
But the most terrifying person on screen is Kerry Condon, playing the steely IRA warrior Doireann McCann (possibly inspired by the notorious Dolours Price), the leader of the gang who has brought her cohort to Glencolmcille.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
But all that nonetheless hasn’t seemed to shake Cadeau, the steely, joyful guard, who led the team with four assists and still found ways to impact the game on defense.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2024
Big Chinese e-commerce platforms including AliExpress and Temu have fallen under the steely gaze of South Korea’s data-protection watchdog.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024
For example: DeBoer cannot bore holes through football helmets with his steely gaze.
—Josh Peter, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
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, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024
While the filming process may have left the actress feeling glum, her turn as the steely editor earned her multiple accolades — including a SAG award nomination and an Oscar nod.
—Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
The White Princess revolves around Woodville’s daughter, also named Elizabeth, who is played, in the franchise’s standout performance, by a steely Jodie Comer.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
But the most terrifying person on screen is Kerry Condon, playing the steely IRA warrior Doireann McCann (possibly inspired by the notorious Dolours Price), the leader of the gang who has brought her cohort to Glencolmcille.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
But all that nonetheless hasn’t seemed to shake Cadeau, the steely, joyful guard, who led the team with four assists and still found ways to impact the game on defense.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2024
Big Chinese e-commerce platforms including AliExpress and Temu have fallen under the steely gaze of South Korea’s data-protection watchdog.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024
For example: DeBoer cannot bore holes through football helmets with his steely gaze.
—Josh Peter, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
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, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024
While the filming process may have left the actress feeling glum, her turn as the steely editor earned her multiple accolades — including a SAG award nomination and an Oscar nod.
—Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near steely
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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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