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)
Glacial
: 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
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
On Saturday, Connecticut was enduring glacial temperatures in the teens.
—
Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
In Southeast Michigan, those scars are buried deep beneath the glacial clay and concrete.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The pace is slow by modern standards, and certainly glacial by Silicon Valley hustle culture.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
The two helicopters involved flew a dozen total loads of cargo from the icebreaker ship to the camp site, while glacial scientists and engineers erected a small tent city, complete with bathrooms, generators, and a mess hall.
—Joe Wilkins Published Jan 28, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for glacial
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Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
In Southeast Michigan, those scars are buried deep beneath the glacial clay and concrete.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The pace is slow by modern standards, and certainly glacial by Silicon Valley hustle culture.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
The two helicopters involved flew a dozen total loads of cargo from the icebreaker ship to the camp site, while glacial scientists and engineers erected a small tent city, complete with bathrooms, generators, and a mess hall.
—Joe Wilkins Published Jan 28, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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