steely

steely

adj \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

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Rhymes with STEELY

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