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.
Or a steely rationalist, girding for continuous summer? Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025 The conversation between him and David Carradine’s Bill, however, once again taps into that same steely, slow-and-low vibe that Marvin parlayed into an entire career, and was the he-man crown Madsen should have been the heir to. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2025 Like Nielsen, Emmy winner Robert Stack became a master of deadpan late in his career, famously spoofing his own steely demeanor as Captain Rex Kramer in Airplane!. Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 2 July 2025 That journey includes a flirtation with steely race engineer Kate McKenna (Condon, 42) and push-back from brash teammate Joshua Pearce (Idris, 33). Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 27 June 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

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Cite this Entry

“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 13 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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