steelier; steeliest
1
: resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness)
steely determination
steely blue
2
: made of steel
steeliness noun

Examples of steely in a Sentence

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
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.
Alex Williams, an Indiana native with a mesmerizing, Stapleton-like baritone and a steely gaze, found himself in the middle of that search. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025 His life is shaken up with the unexpected arrival of his estranged birth mother, Marg, a steely, misfit who reminds him of himself. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2025 The British singer, producer, dancer, and actress has always operated from the periphery, eschewing straight-up bangers for steely, elusive mood pieces; what her songs lack in top 40 appeal they more than make up for in vision. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 13 July 2025 Or a steely rationalist, girding for continuous summer? Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for steely

Word History

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of steely was in 1509

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

steely

adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on steely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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