steely

1 of 2

adjective

ˈstē-lē 

steelier; steeliest

1

: resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness)

steely determination

steely blue

2

: made of steel

steeliness noun

steely

2 of 2

noun

less common spelling of steelie

: a playing marble made of steel

Synonyms of steely

Adjective

• gruff
• stern
• fierce
• grim
• rugged
• intimidating

Examples of steely in a Sentence

Adjective

a thief with steely nerves

He had a steely determination to succeed.

She gave him a steely gaze.

a sky filled with steely gray clouds

the judge's steely blue eyes

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Classmates at McClatchy High School told the Bee that Becerra stood out for his ambition and his steely poker face. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Higgins riffs amusingly on his obsequious toad from Slow Horses, but lacks the steely calculation behind the easy smile. — Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026

The Baldwin brothers — Alec, Daniel, Billy and Stephen — all look very similar with their salt-and-pepper hair and steely blue eyes. — Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2026

The official winners of the Ballon d’Or have been announced, with Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas awarded their trophies at the London Palladium, receiving the acclaim (and the odd steely stare of jealousy) from their peers. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for steely

• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• vilely
• ideally
• lapilli
• swahili
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili
• microvilli

Kids Definition

steely

adjective

ˈstē-lē 

steelier; steeliest

1

: made of steel

2

: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)

a steely gaze

steeliness noun