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
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
The park is also home to striking glacial potholes — including one of the largest on the planet.
—
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
The season drew heavy criticism for its glacial pace and incoherent plotting, generating more Reddit theories than actual scares and leaving viewers more haunted by what could have been.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
There’s a sauna and glacial-fed creek on-site, too.
—Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2025
But this mask, packed with glacial spring water and three forms of the skin’s important structural protein, is formulated to firm the skin with continued use.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glacial
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Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
The season drew heavy criticism for its glacial pace and incoherent plotting, generating more Reddit theories than actual scares and leaving viewers more haunted by what could have been.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
There’s a sauna and glacial-fed creek on-site, too.
—Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2025
But this mask, packed with glacial spring water and three forms of the skin’s important structural protein, is formulated to firm the skin with continued use.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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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