glacial

adjective

gla·​cial ˈglā-shəl 

1

: suggestive of ice: such as

a

: extremely cold : frigid

a glacial wind

b

: devoid of warmth and cordiality

a glacial handshake

c

: coldly imperturbable

maintained a glacial calm

2

: of a purity marked by the tendency to readily solidify in the form of ice-like crystals

glacial acetic acid

3

a(1)

: of, relating to, or being any of those parts of geologic time from Precambrian onward when a much larger portion of the earth was covered by glaciers than at present

(2)

capitalized : pleistocene

b

: of, relating to, or produced by glaciers

c

: suggestive of the very slow movement of glaciers

progress on the bill has been glacial

glacially

ˈglā-shə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• algid
• arctic
• bitter
• bone-chilling
• chill
• chilly
• cold
• coldish
• cool
• coolish
• freezing
• frigid
• frosty
• gelid
• ice-cold
• icy
• nipping
• nippy
• numbing
• polar
• shivery
• snappy
• wintry
• wintery

Examples of glacial in a Sentence

Progress on the bill has been glacial.

a glacial weather front coming down from Canada will bring freezing temperatures this weekend

Recent Examples on the Web

Woodley also shared how she’s no longer frustrated about the glacial pace of sustainable changes in the industry and society as a whole. —Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Oct. 2024

The resulting glacial pattern hasn’t been observed elsewhere in the solar system. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024

Microsoft Restarts Three Mile Island The glacial pace of U.S. utilities in building new nuclear plants is a poor match for the rapidly expanding needs of data centers. —Roger Dooley, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

These bright hues are a stunning contrast to the backdrop of volcanic mountains, glacial lakes and lush green moss. —Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin glacialis, from glacies

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

glacial

adjective

gla·​cial ˈglā-shəl 

1

a

: extremely cold : frigid

b

: lacking warmth of feeling

2

a

: of, relating to, or produced by glaciers

b

: of, relating to, or being any of those parts of geologic time when a large portion of the earth was covered by glaciers

c

capitalized : pleistocene