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
Curving around the glistening, glacial Sarmiento Lake, an amphitheater of rooms gazes up at the Paine massif, with scenes constantly shifting depending on the time of day.
—
Sarah Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Lead author Dr Anthony Clarke from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences said the results showed no trace of glacial transport reaching the Stonehenge site.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
At a time when many start-ups seem to go from zero to 10X overnight, that pace can feel glacial.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Just a short drive from Fort Wayne, this park has multiple glacial kettle lakes filled with largemouth bass, gar, and bluegill.
—Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for glacial
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Sarah Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Lead author Dr Anthony Clarke from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences said the results showed no trace of glacial transport reaching the Stonehenge site.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
At a time when many start-ups seem to go from zero to 10X overnight, that pace can feel glacial.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Just a short drive from Fort Wayne, this park has multiple glacial kettle lakes filled with largemouth bass, gar, and bluegill.
—Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 19 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 28 Jan. 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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