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 landscape around a nearly 3,000-square-mile glacier shifts frequently as roiling magma thrusts the ground upward, and glacial rivers carve canyons into the basalt.
—
Robin Catalano, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2025
The recent discovery of Naseeruddin’s body seems to indicate accelerating glacial melt — as snowfall in the Kohistan region has been declining in recent years, making glaciers more prone to exposure to sunlight, according to the BBC.
—David Chiu, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
It was formed after glacial ice dammed the Wisconsin River, and was nearly 72 miles long at its largest.
—Sofia Joseph, jsonline.com, 30 July 2025
Iliamna often experiences massive avalanches due to the combination of glacial ice weakened rock and volcanic heat, scientists say.
—ABC News, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for glacial
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Robin Catalano, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2025
The recent discovery of Naseeruddin’s body seems to indicate accelerating glacial melt — as snowfall in the Kohistan region has been declining in recent years, making glaciers more prone to exposure to sunlight, according to the BBC.
—David Chiu, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
It was formed after glacial ice dammed the Wisconsin River, and was nearly 72 miles long at its largest.
—Sofia Joseph, jsonline.com, 30 July 2025
Iliamna often experiences massive avalanches due to the combination of glacial ice weakened rock and volcanic heat, scientists say.
—ABC News, 11 July 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 19 Aug. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share