Definition of steely
steelier
;steeliest
1 : resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness) steely determination steely blue
2 : made of steel
steeliness
nounPeople Are Reading
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 of steely from the Web
-
Or will Holgate's composure, steely determination and potential be enough to win him the role?
-
Mr. O’Pry said, steely blue eyes flashing, and wearing a white Todd Snyder bomber jacket.
-
Hometown: Asheville, NC Occupation What's on her plate: Reprising her role as steely first lady Mellie Grant on the third season of the television hit Scandal.
-
Nicole Kidman is particularly, unsurprisingly excellent in her performance as the steely Miss Martha.
-
Prada’s male models sported high, technical knit socks with micro boy shorts in bright tomato red and steely gray.
-
These delicate qualities belie a fierce inner strength and a steely artistic will.
-
Flanked by bodyguards and officials, wearing a white-and-black jacket and a steely expression, May walked along the corridor to the meeting room through a throng of about 40 journalists without saying a word.
-
Steely resilience in the face of unforgiving tragedy is considered a fixture of British patriotism.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of steely
1509
STEELY Defined for English Language Learners
steely
playDefinition of steely for English Language Learners
-
: very strong and determined often in a cold or unfriendly way
-
: resembling steel especially in color
STEELY Defined for Kids
steely
playDefinition of steely for Students
steelier
;steeliest
: like steel (as in hardness, strength, or color) steely eyes
Learn More about steely
-
See words that rhyme with steely Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for steely Spanish Central: Translation of steely Nglish: Translation of steely for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up steely? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!